THURSDAY, Feb. 7, 2013 — Skin stem cells have been reprogrammed to treat the symptoms of multiple sclerosis in mice — giving scientists hope that similar techniques will one day be developed to slow and perhaps reverse the degenerative nerve disease in humans.
The new method, pioneered by the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York, uses engineered cells to regenerate myelin, a nerve coating that helps the brain send and receive signals. In patients with MS, the immune system attacks myelin cells, destroying those signal pathways.
Scientists have experimented with using fetal and brain stem cells to regenerate myelin — but using skin stem cells instead would potentially offer a safer, cheaper option. Whereas fetal and brain cells are often difficult to procure and remain politically controversial, skin cells are abundant, easily obtainable and aren’t usually rejected by the human body. Skin stem cells are also less likely to mutate and create tumors, a problem observed in tests of other stem cell treatments, according to a study published today in the journal Cell Stem Cell.
To conduct the Cell Stem Cell study, scientists took human skin stem cells and reengineered them into oligodendrocyte progenitor cells or OPCs. OPCs are essentially factories that produce myelin cells specific to the brain and spinal cord. These factories were transplanted into mice with myelin deficiencies. Initial results suggest that the OPCs successfully generated new myelin cells, restoring function to previously impotent nerves.
The treatment hasn’t been tested on humans and is still in its early stages. However, clinical trials may not be far off, said Steven Goldman a neurologist at the University of Rochester and lead author of the study in a press release. The latest MS discovery offers new opportunities, not only for patients with MS, but for those who have other degenerative diseases like pediatric leukodystrophies, according to the study.