For the first time, human embryonic stem cells have been
transformed into nerve cells that helped mice regain the ability to learn and
remember.
A study at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is the first
to show that human stem cells can successfully implant themselves in the brain
and then heal neurological deficits, says senior author Su-Chun Zhang, a
professor of neuroscience and neurology.
Once inside the mouse brain, the implanted stem cells formed
two common, vital types of neurons, which communicate with the chemicals GABA
or acetylcholine. "These two neuron types are involved in many kinds of
human behavior, emotions, learning, memory, addiction and many other
psychiatric issues," says Zhang.