Newly Identified Neural Stem Cells Could Transform Parkinson's Treatment

Credit: Gerd Altmann/ PixabayThe detection of peripheral neural stem cells could transform treatment of Parkinson's disease and spinal cord injuries.A team of researchers from more than ten laboratories in Europe, Asia and North America examined newly identified cells in mice called peripheral neural stem cells. These cells share important molecular and functional characteristics with neural stem cells of the brain. Peripheral neural stem cells have the same cell morphology, self-renewal and differentiation capacity as neural stem cells of the brain. They express several specific markers and have genome-wide transcriptional and epigenetic profiles that are consistent with those of neural stem cells in the brain. Furthermore, many peripheral neural stem cells that migrate out of the neural tube can differentiate into mature neurons and, to a limited extent, glial cells during embryonic and postnatal development.The discovery of the new cell type not only provides new insights into the development of the mammalian nervous system. Their existence also challenges a long-standing hypothesis in neuroscience and, because they can be grown in substantial numbers in the petri dish, opens up new possibilities for regenerative medicine. Furthermore, obtaining neural stem cells from the brain is not a favoured method. By contrast, obtaining...

Read More........→April 16, 2025

Italian circus says escaped lion posed no risk

The lion that escaped from a circus near Rome posed no threat to the public, his handler insisted Sunday, as campaigners called for Italy to ban wild animals in entertainment.Residents of the seaside town of Ladispoli were told to stay indoors for more than five hours on Saturday evening while police, vets and circus staff tracked the lion, finally sedating and then capturing him.Extraordinary videos published by Italian media, apparently taken by locals, showed the fully-grown lion with a shaggy mane walking through dark and deserted residential streets, padding past parked cars.But Rony Vassallo, who is responsible for the animals in the Rony Roller Circus, said that while the thought of confronting a lion would make most people fearful, eight-year-old Kimba posed little danger.Residents of the seaside town of Ladispoli were told to stay indoors for more than five hours on Saturday evening while police, vets and circus staff tracked the lion."He met with people in an environment he wasn't used to... and nothing happened, he didn't even for a second have the instinct to attack a person," he told AFP at the circus site.He said his fear had been "that someone could have harm the animal, out of fear, or excess enthusiasm".Nearby, not far from the red and white striped main tent where preparations were under way for the afternoon show,...

Read More........→October 06, 2024