Ivanhoe Newswire, November 12, 2009: "Stem Cells Restore Brain Function":
Human embryonic stem cells could reverse learning and memory deficits people experience after undergoing radiation treatment for brain tumors. Research with rats found that transplanted stem cells restored learning and memory to normal levels four months after radiation therapy. In contrast, irradiated rats that didn't receive stem cells experienced a more than 50 percent drop in cognitive function.
Los Angeles Times Health, November 10, 2009: "Embryonic stem cells may restore brains damaged by radiation":
Scientists at UC Irvine and UC San Francisco have found a potential new use for human embryonic stem cells – helping cancer patients recover the cognitive function lost when their brains are treated with radiation. People with tumors in their head or neck often undergo radiation therapy after the cancer is surgically removed. That radiation helps kill off any malignant cells left behind. But it can also debilitate the region of the brain called the hippocampus, which is responsible for learning, memory and processing of spatial information. It is also one of only two areas in the brain known to produce new neurons.
Agence France Presse (AFP), November 10, 2009: "Stems cells repair brain function in irradiated rats":
WASHINGTON — Human embryonic stem cells may one day be used to help people recover abilities to learn and remember that are lost after radiation treatment for brain tumors, experiments on rats suggest. In a study published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers found that transplanted stem cells in rats restored learning and memory within four months of radiotherapy.
