Turning Embryonic Stem Cells Into Dopamine Neurons

Turning Embryonic Stem Cells Into Dopamine Neurons

One of the great hopes for embryonic stem cell research is that it can treat degenerative neural diseases, such as Parkinson’s. Now researchers at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have found the transcription factor protein that is ultimately responsible for dopamine neuron production. The researchers found that Lmx1a is required for the formation of dopamine neurons in the midbrain of chicks. Its presence also causes the expression of another factor, Msx1, which is crucial to the differentiation of the dopamine neurons. The researchers will next check this in rats.

The news is reported on a press release from EurekAlert, which also includes the news about the sympathetic nervous system that I have blogged in a separate post today. A UPI version of the story on Science Daily also quoted well-known stem cell researcher Robert Lanza as saying, “This work is very refreshing in the wake of the Korean scandal. It's a reminder that a lot of solid scientific progress continues to be made in stem cell research.”

Sympathetic Nervous System Involved in Stem Cell Mobilization

Sympathetic Nervous System Involved in Stem Cell Mobilization

Researchers at the Mount Sinai Medical School have found that the sympathetic nervous system plays an important role in moving stem cells from the bone marrow into the bloodstream. The press release is on EurekAlert. They had previously learned that a seaweed derivative called fucoidan helped stimulate stem cell production, and they speculated that this was related to a naturally occurring mammalian compound called sulfatide. When they tested mice who lacked the ability to make sulfatide, they found that the use of growth factors to increase stem cell production had no effect. It turns out that while the sulfatide is not directly related to stem cell production, it contributes to the myelin sheath that protects nerves. Mice who had nerve defects were unable to move stem cells from their bone marrow to their blood stream. Drugs that stimulate the sympathetic nervous system restored stem cell movement. This suggests that there may be a drug-based solution to stimulating the movement of stem cells from the bone marrow to the bloodstream or otherwise help in harvesting bone marrow stem cells for transplants.

The sympathetic nervous system responds to stress by releasing adrenaline, raising the heart rate, and preparing the body automatically for “fight or flight.”