(Ivanhoe Newswire) – There is new hope on the horizon for millions of
people who suffer from brain injuries.
New research from scientists in the Carolina Resuscitation Research Group at
the University of North Carolina School of Medicine focused on newly born
neuronal stem cells. They could play a major role in treating brain injuries
if scientists could learn how to harness their formation.
The study, which was conducted on rats, found the growth of these newly born
neurons was significantly decreased by mild hypothermia, or cooling. The
finding tells scientists the cells can be regulated, which suggests they may
one day be used to treat brain injured patients.
“Many questions remain before we adequately understand how to control these
cells to repair a damaged brain,” study author Laurence Katz was quoted as
saying. “However, the findings represent an important step in demonstrating
that these cells can be controlled by simple external forces like
hypothermia.”
SOURCE: Presented at the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Annual
Meeting, May 31, 2008
