Neural Regeneration Through Nanotechnology : Nanotechnology

Many of us have all heard the saying that a “lizard can lose its tail,” and bizarrely enough it will grow back. This was always considered impossible for humans, an idea belonging in the realm of science fiction, but now the regeneration of tissue is an extremely realistic possibility. Despite some opinions, this process does not happen naturally, or take place as cinematically as one might imagine. Over the past decade, there have been major advances in regenerative medicine, commonly known as stem cell research. Stem cells are undifferentiated cells within the body that have the capability to specialize into any tissue. They are most commonly found in cord blood, bone marrow, organ donations, placenta, and embryos . Stem cells are seen by some as a new miracle treatment, encouraging many countries to invest in their research.

Before we determine how stem cells can treat various diseases including spinal cord injuries, let us first

There are many different types of stem-cells which can be implanted in patients to regenerate or replace the damaged or abnormal cells caused by not only diseases like Parkinson's but also Alzheimer's and spinal cord injuries (2). A specific example in relation to Parkinson's is the harvesting of embryonic stem cells. These human embryonic stem cells can be transplanted into the brain to replace and create dopamine neurons. The controversy is in how one can obtain these stem cells. During fertilization, in humans, the embryo is hollow and contains cells that eventually develop into a fetus (1). Researchers have discovered, as recently as 1998, that the cells in the embryo contain all

Discoveries from stem cells have been substantial within the last 20 years, with breakthrough treatments for diseases and conditions previously thought to be incurable. For instance, the case of Portuguese patient Silvio, who, due to an accident, suffered Grade A spinal cord injury, and “was left with no movement of his legs and minimal

There have also been breakthroughs in stimulating nerve re-growth by Dr. Martin Schwab at the University of Zurich in Switzerland. He has been able to create an antibody, called IN-1, that combats the inhibitory proteins which prevent nerve growth. Using IN-1 with naturally occurring nerve growth factors, NT-3, he was able to produce promising results, with rats regaining some function where there was no

Additionally, industries support scientists as they believe that the legalization of the use of stem cells can allow scientists to conduct their research without barrier, in order to discover treatments for Alzheimer’s at a faster rate. By conducting research, scientists could create a more effective treatment with very small risk and side effects based on the existing variety of ways that stem cells are able to replace the damaged areas of an Alzheimer’s brain. Firstly, scientists can retrieve stem cells from skin cells to create neural stem cells that can be transplanted into the brain, which will later create healthy neurons. However, even after creating efficient neural stem cells, scientists still have to overcome some issues in order to create a more effective treatment, such as making sure that the stem cells travel to different areas in the brain where it is damaged. Another issue is that when neural stem cells are being transplanted into the brain, they can be damaged by the build-up of beta-amyloids, causing this treatment to be temporary. Secondly, scientists can use iPS (induced pluripotent stem cells), which is when skin cells are taken from an Alzheimer patient and are reprogrammed to create the iPS cells. From here, the iPS cells can grow nerve cells, which scientists can use for research, to understand

Stem cell therapies are a promising potential treatment to fill those gaps in the circuitry on the spinal cord. They

“Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease, characterized by the deterioration of cognitive function” (Mita, 1) Currently there is no definitive cure for Alzheimer's disease; however, stem cell research in rats has provided promising results, after treatment with embryonic stem cells(ESCs) rats which were initially under conditions reflecting Alzheimer's showed significant cognitive growth(Li, 3-4). Despite these promising outcomes, many issues are yet to be solved, the transfer of these treatments to humans have not yet been worked out, also the exact method of how the stem cells aid the disease is not fully understood. These problems are largely associated with lack of knowledge of how Alzheimer's acts upon those who are affected; nevertheless, ESCs show great promise in their animal models, such as the transformation of ESCs in mice assisting their memory(Tong, 3). Stem cell research potentially has great beneficial uses in medicine to cure Alzheimer's disease by curing the damaged brain of those who are affected, either by replacing dead cells or modifying damaged

A stroke is essentially the death of tissue in the brain as a result of loss of circulation and blood flow. It is one of the most prevalent pathologies affecting the central nervous system and is currently the second leading cause of death worldwide with ~6.2 million deaths in 2011. Approximately 800,000 people suffer a stroke every year in the United States alone. Many of these strokes are fatal, but the majority of individuals who suffer from a stroke will survive. Many of the survivors will struggle with recovery and rehabilitation following their initial stroke. Following a stroke, neurons, neuroblasts and endothelial cells collectively interact with each other as a “regenerative triad”, creating a specific environment that allows neurological recovery to take place. Developmental genetic programs are

Stroke is considered as second leading reason of death in the world with over zillions of individuals suffering from this. With the increasing hazard of developing this feared disease, particularly in developed nations, scientists and medical investigators are rushing to find a cure for stroke. One of the newest breakthroughs is an investigation being conducted that deals with the use of stem cells.

Brain injury is a devastating condition associated with trauma, multiple sclerosis or stroke. Successful therapy must be done to overcome this, the associated loss of neurones and supporting glial cells as complex intercellular connections. This scary challenge can be addressed using stem cells because stem cells can regenerate and repair the delicate injured tissue. If research can get this advance, then stem cells can repair brain damage and become reality.

In the future, scientists are focusing on the research of stem cells, because they are convinced that in the future could also cure diseases of the nervous system such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis and spinal injuries, or the cardiovascular system such as stroke. The studies are in the initial stage that will require many years before coming to the possibility of use for these diseases.

Recently, X. laevis has begun to be in used research investigating central nervous system (CNS) regeneration. X. laevis has also been used in ground-breaking biomedical research in developmental biology, cancer and cellular research.1

Please consider my application for the position of DBT-Cambridge Lectureship. I am currently working as a senior postdoctoral fellow at the Cambridge Stem Cell Institute. My interdisciplinary research focuses on identifying novel approaches to stimulate central nervous system (CNS) myelin regeneration (remyelination) by endogenous adult neural stem cells. Myelin is a fatty membrane structure around nerve cells and serves to increase the speed of electrical communication between neurons. Myelin is a target of many chronic diseases including, stroke, inflammation, immune disorders, CNS trauma, metabolic disorders, nutritional deficiencies (such as a lack of vitamin B12) and most notably Multiple Sclerosis. Remyelination in the CNS often fails

Stem cells are a special type of cell that has the potential to differentiate into many different cell types. They work with in the body as an internal repair system. When they are not being used as a repair mechanism, the stem cells have the capability of long-term renewal. Because they are unspecialized cells, stem cells can be induced to become tissue or organ specific, thus giving them unique regenerative abilities that have the potential to treat diseases such as diabetes and Alzheimer’s.