加拿大科学家发现成人皮肤干细胞可移植

Canadian  scientists  say  they've  determined  stem  cells  from  adult  skin  can  be  transplanted  and  remain  functional.

The  researchers  say  such  stem  cells  create  neural  cell  types  that  function  in  mouse  models  of  disease.

Scientists  at  Toronto's  Hospital  for  Sick  Children,  the  University  of  Calgary,  and  the  University  of  Toronto  previously  discovered  what  type  of  cells  can  be  made  from  skin-derived  precursors,  or  SKPs.  In  addition  to  generating  the  peripheral  nervous  system,  neural  crest  stem  cells  generate  other  tissues,  such  as  bone,  cartilage,  and  even  part  of  the  heart.

The  research  team  found  SKPs  can  efficiently  generate  a  type  of  glial  cell  --  called  Schwann  cells  --  that  can  myelinate  demyelinated  axons  and  have  been  shown  to  provide  a  good  growth  environment  for  injured  central  nervous  system  axons  that  do  not  regenerate.

"Our  finding  ...  raises  the  possibility  that  we  could  treat  humans  with  Schwann  cells  derived  from  human  skin  stem  cells,  and  perhaps  even  use  the  patient's  own  skin  to  generate  Schwann  cells  for  treatment,"  said  Dr.  Freda  Miller,  the  study's  principal  investigator.

The  research  is  reported  in  The  Journal  of  Neuroscience. (责任编辑：泉水)

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加拿大科学家发现成人皮肤干细胞可移植