byTudor Tarita – ZME Science –
Modern medicine can do a lot of amazing things. But if the nerve cables linking the human brain and spinal cord are severed, there are few options; the resulting paralysis is permanent.
Or so we thought.
Scientists at the University of Cambridge have challenged that dogma by growing miniature, connected human brain and spinal cord tissues in a laboratory dish. By observing this living 3D circuit, the researchers pinpointed the exact developmental moment when our nerve cells lose their ability to heal. Even better, they discovered that a common contraceptive drug can flip a genetic switch to turn that regenerative power back on. Basically, they have a biological blueprint for repairing nervous system damage once thought irreversible.
Related posts:
Stem Cell Treatment vs. Proven Medicine: Here’s What Researchers Say the Evidence Actually Shows
California cosmetic surgeon, Mark Berman, pusher of unproven stem cell therapies, dies while awaiting verdict in #FDA lawsuit.
Breakthrough within reach for diabetes scientist and patients nearest to his heart