Researchers To Develop “Bionic” Nerves

Move over Jamie Sommers, Bionics are about to become a reality. Researches at the University of Manchester have successfully transformed fat tissue stem cells into nerve cells. The significance of this feat being that damaged limbs and organs can potentially be brought back to life or regenerated.

In a study published in October’s Experimental Neurology, Dr Paul Kingham and his team at the UK Centre for Tissue Regeneration (UKCTR) isolated the stem cells from the fat tissue of adult animals and differentiated them into nerve cells to be used for repair and regeneration of injured nerves. They are now about to start a trial extracting stem cells from fat tissue of volunteer adult patients, in order to compare in the laboratory human and animal stem cells.

Following that, they will develop an artificial nerve constructed from a biodegradable polymer to transplant the differentiated stem cells. The biomaterial will be rolled up into a tube-like structure and inserted between the two ends of the cut nerve so that the regrowing nerve fibre can go through it from one end to the other.

This ‘bionic’ nerve could also be used in people who have suffered trauma injuries to their limbs or organs, cancer patients whose tumour surgery has affected a nearby nerve trunk and people who have had organ transplants.

And you just thought it was all Science Fiction!

via: Slashdot