Pro-Lifers Worry as British Scientists Create Nerve Stem Cells
British scientists have created the world’s first nerve stem cells in Edinburgh, Scotland, in a development which has been met with mixed reactions.
Posted: Tuesday, August 16 , 2005, 17:08 (UK)

British scientists have created the world’s first nerve stem cells in Edinburgh, Scotland, in a development which has been met with mixed reactions.

Some have touted the announcement as a major breakthrough in the race to treat diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s. The cells were developed at the Edinburgh University Institute for Stem Cell Research, led by Professor Austin Smith.

It is the first time ever that scientists have been able to grow and successfully sustain pure brain cells. Until now, scientists across the globe had been unsuccessful in sustaining the ability of neural stem cells to produce replicas of themselves when grown in a dish. However, in Edinburgh, by altering the growth conditions, pure stem cells divisions have taken place.

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