The Latest On Stem Cells

Human Astrocytes Developed From Stem Cells

RogerRoast writes "Astrocytes are the most ubiquitous cells in the brain. They perform critical support function to the neurons. These cells are also implicated in several human brain disorders. The U of Wisconsin researchers developed a method to create these cells from stem cells. According to the lead author Dr Zhang, 'not a lot of attention has been paid to these cells because human astrocytes have been hard to get, but we can make billions or trillions of them from a single stem cell.' The technology developed by the Wisconsin group lays a foundation to make all the different species of astrocytes. It may be possible to genetically engineer them to mimic disease so that previously inaccessible neurological conditions can be studied in the lab."


http://www.nature.com/nbt/journal/vaop/ncurrent/abs/nbt.1877.html

http://sciencedebate.com/science-blog/human-astrocytes-cultivated-stem-cells-lab-dish-u-wisconsin-researchers

Just one more reason why the republicans are not good for our health.

From the: You can dish it out you can eat it dept. or cells have feelings too and rocks can sense pain. (cynical)