Scientists Cloning Human Brain Cells

Scientists at Edinburgh's Centre for Regenerative Medicine, England, made a spectacular technological breakthrough that could pave the way for medical care for people with mental illness and nervous. In a series of experiments, they have created the brain tissue of patients suffering from schizophrenia, bipolar depression and other mental illnesses.

Previously, scientists are spearheading the creation of the first cloned mammal in the world, the sheep Dolly. The birth of Dolly, which became sensational news in the world 16 years ago, raising hopes for the creation of a new generation of drugs, and as evidenced by a number of breakthroughs over the next decade.

These findings offer an amazing thing for working doctors. Of a piece of skin taken from the patient's body, they can make the brain cells (neurons) that are genetically identical to those found in the brains of these patients. Brain cells are grown in the laboratory, then learned to know the condition of neurologic.

"The neurons of a patient may reveal much about the psychological conditions that affect them. But you can not put a needle in someone's brain and take the cells," said the director of regenerative research center, Professor Charles ffrench-Constant.

He said, instead, the scientists simply taking skin samples, making stem cells, then directing it to grow into brain cells. "Essentially, we restore a person's skin cells into the brain. We made cells that were previously inaccessible," he said.

Not only brain cells, scientists are also planning a similar method to make the liver cells, heart and other organs that are very difficult to biopsy.

The scientists focused on a variety of neurological conditions, including multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease and motor neuron disease. Work is also being applied to patients with schizophrenia and bipolar depression, the two diseases are triggered by a malfunction in brain activity. This last project led by Andrew McIntosh from the Royal Edinburgh Hospital and work closely with the agency.

In his research, the scientists make different types of brain cells of people with schizophrenia and bipolar depression. Then they examined the psychological effects of standard drugs, such as lithium, to the brain cells.

"After that, we can create new drugs. Brain cells we created first will be used in testing new drugs," McIntosh said. *** [GUARDIAN | MAHARDIKA SATRIA HADI | KORAN TEMPO 3781]