UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers created new nerve
cells in the brains and spinal cords of living mammals without the need for
stem cell transplants to replenish lost cells.
Although the research indicates it may someday be possible
to regenerate neurons from the body’s own cells to repair traumatic brain
injury or spinal cord damage or to treat conditions such as Alzheimer’s
disease, the researchers stressed that it is too soon to know whether the
neurons created in these initial studies resulted in any functional
improvements, a goal for future research.