Source: University of Edinburgh
Date: 29 April 2009
Summary:
Tiny zebrafish could hold the key to stem cell treatments for motor neurone disease. Scientists at the University of Edinburgh have found that these fish are able to produce motor neurones - cells that control all muscle activity such as speaking, walking and breathing in humans - when they repair damage to their spinal cords. Researchers are now screening small molecules with a view to finding drugs that could kick-start the process of motor neurone regeneration in zebrafish, with a view to translating their findings into treatments for humans. The discovery could help patients with motor neurone disease, in which the motor neurone cells die and are not replaced.
