November 8, 2012

Stem cells + nanofibers = promising nerve research




U-M, UCSF researchers coax cells to grow and myelinate along thin fibers, with potential use in testing treatments for neurological diseases.

Every week in his clinic at the University of Michigan, neurologist Joseph Corey, M.D., Ph.D., treats patients whose nerves are dying or shrinking due to disease or injury.

He sees the pain, the loss of ability and the other effects that nerve-destroying conditions cause – and wishes he could give patients more effective treatments than what’s available, or regenerate their nerves. Then he heads to his research lab at the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, where his team is working toward that exact goal.