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Scientists Say Cure for Parkinson's Disease Right under Their Noses
Life Site News ^ | 06.12.08 | Peter J. Smith

Posted on 06/13/2008 8:39:40 PM PDT by Coleus

SYDNEY, Australia, June 12, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - New research on stem-cell therapy shows scientists have found that the cure for Parkinson's disease may lie right under one's nose - or rather, in it. Researchers from Griffith University have published a study in the journal Stem Cells that has found adult stem-cells harvested from the noses of Parkinson's patients developed into dopamine-producing brain cells upon being transplanted into the brain of a lab rat.

Professor Alan Mackay-Sim said researchers simulated Parkinson's symptoms in rats by creating lesions on one side of the rat's brain to imitate the damage Parkinson's disease wreaks on the human brain. The lesions caused the rats to run in circles; however when stem-cells from the noses of Parkinson's patients were injected into the affected area of the brain, the rats re-acquired the ability to run in a straight line.  According to Mackay-Sim, the evidence showed the injected stem-cells had differentiated into "dopamine-producing neurons influenced by being in the environment of the brain."

Mackay-Sim explained that, like all stem-cells, these adult stem-cells from the olfactory nerve in the nose are "naïve," since they have not yet differentiated into any particular type of cells.  "They can still be influenced by the environment they are put into. In this case we transplanted them into the brain, where they were directed to give rise to dopamine producing brain cells," he added. "Significantly, none of the transplants led to formation of tumours or teratomas in the host rats as has occurred after embryonic stem-cell transplantation in a similar model."

The research team made their latest discovery by building upon the groundbreaking work of Mackay-Sim, whose team in 2005 revealed they had found stem-cells from the nose have properties superior to embryonic stem-cells, and had developed them successfully into heart, nerve, liver, and brain cells.  Mackay-Sim's team had developed a technique that extracts stem-cells from the olfactory nerves of patients in a harmless 10 minutes procedure. Unlike unethical embryonic stem-cells - which have yielded no cures despite the investment of hundreds of millions of research dollars - these stem-cells from a patient's nose do not develop into tumours, are compatible with a patient's immune system and therefore do not require dangerous immuno-suppressant drugs. Mackay-Sim's latest discovery in the little-recognized field of adult stem-cell research is the work of the National Centre for Adult Stem Cell Research, part of Griffith University's Eskitis Institute for Cell and Molecular Therapies.

Australian Research Team Finds Stem Cell Gold in the Nose
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Adult Stem Cell Research: True Potential Sacrificed for Other Possibilities Says Biotech Writer
Adult Stem cell patch restores vision
Embryonic Stem Cell Therapies to Cure Disease is "Pure Folly", Says MIT Prof
Scientists Create Brain Cells, Development Of Treatments For Alzheimer’s And Parkinson's
Stem Cells Not The Priority For Alzheimer's
Ron Reagan Shocker: Stem Cells Won't Cure Alzheimer's
Confused Issues? Stem Cell Research Could Soon Give Us A Cure For Alzheimer’s Disease, Right? Wrong
Marrow Stem Cells Defeat Alzheimer’s
Study: Bone Marrow Stem Cells May be Successful in Treating Parkinson's and MS
The Testimony of Dr. Dennis Turner about Treating his Parkinson's Disease using Adult Stem Cells
The Testimony of Dr. Michel F. Levesque, M.D., on Adult Stem Cells treating Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson's victim improves with transplant of own Stem cells
Israeli therapy uses adult stem cells to treat Parkinson's Disease


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: adultstemcells; alanmackaysim; australia; folding; mackaysim; nasalcells; nose; parkinsons; sydney

1 posted on 06/13/2008 8:39:40 PM PDT by Coleus
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To: Coleus

Huh? Ben Card (D-Md) and Micheal J Fox said we needed embryonic stem cells!


2 posted on 06/13/2008 8:50:37 PM PDT by enough_idiocy (Holding my nose in 2008. I disagree with McCain on lots of issue, but with the Democrats on more.)
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To: texas booster

May have possibilities for a FOLDING ping


3 posted on 06/13/2008 8:51:13 PM PDT by DocRock (All they that TAKE the sword shall perish with the sword. Matthew 26:52 Gun grabbers beware.)
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To: DocRock
Wow! Great news if true.

I won't be home until Sunday but will need to ping the team with these possibilities.

Thank you very much for this catch!

4 posted on 06/13/2008 9:05:50 PM PDT by texas booster (Join FreeRepublic's Folding@Home team (Team # 36120) Cure Alzheimer's!)
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To: Coleus
Free Republic has hosted a team that utilizes our computers to help research in the area of Parkinson's Disease and Alzheimer's Disease.

Our latest thread is here:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2011045/posts

Please scroll through it and join our team if you can!

Post # 5 gives instructions.

5 posted on 06/13/2008 9:10:52 PM PDT by texas booster (Join FreeRepublic's Folding@Home team (Team # 36120) Cure Alzheimer's!)
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To: Coleus
The nose knows?

(somebody had to say it)

6 posted on 06/13/2008 9:30:59 PM PDT by PeaceBeWithYou (De Oppresso Liber! (50 million and counting in Afganistan and Iraq))
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To: PeaceBeWithYou

7 posted on 06/13/2008 9:34:20 PM PDT by Coleus (Abortion and Physician-assisted Murder (aka-Euthanasia), Don't Democrats just kill ya?)
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To: PeaceBeWithYou
Photobucket
8 posted on 06/13/2008 11:04:11 PM PDT by martin_fierro (< |:)~)
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To: enough_idiocy
Huh? Ben Card (D-Md) and Micheal J Fox said we needed embryonic stem cells!

That's only because they're willing dupes of the abortion industry. Plus, they're dishonest morons.

9 posted on 06/13/2008 11:07:31 PM PDT by Lancey Howard
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To: Coleus

Read Later


10 posted on 06/14/2008 4:35:14 AM PDT by Rumplemeyer
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To: Lancey Howard

So, have there been any cure with embryonic stem cells? They seem to be a rat hole of biology. I have read of some experiments in Asia were they implanted embryonic cells and they developed into the wrong kind of cells, often with disastrous results.


11 posted on 06/14/2008 5:04:11 AM PDT by Dutch Boy
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To: Coleus

this is fascinating-—thank you so much for posting

i will bookmark to share with at least one friend who is afflicted

kg


12 posted on 06/14/2008 6:33:37 PM PDT by krunkygirl (force multiplier in effect...)
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To: texas booster

I think I’m already on your list.


13 posted on 06/14/2008 8:39:32 PM PDT by Coleus (Abortion and Physician-assisted Murder (aka-Euthanasia), Don't Democrats just kill ya?)
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