Umbilical Cord Cells Repair Brain Damage. Discovery by Henry Ford Researchers May Lead to Cures.
By Shawn D. Lewis
The Detroit News
February 21, 2001
DETROIT -- A potentially revolutionary new study, led by a Henry Ford Hospital neurologist, has found that blood-stem cells from umbilical cords can repair the damage caused by brain injuries and strokes.
The finding ultimately could mean that doctors do not have to use cells from aborted fetuses, a source of controversy in medicine, to treat brain damage.
"At this point, they (the umbilical-cord cells) appear to be the best cells on the market," said Michael Chopp, vice-chairman of neurology at Henry Ford, who designed and supervised the study. "This is extremely valuable, and shows great potential to treat neurological and neuro-degenerative diseases like Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and others."
Umbilical stem cells already have been used to fight blood diseases in children, including leukemia.
In the study, the brains of rats treated with umbilical stem cells recovered much faster from stroke damage than those treated with fetal cells.
"The rats were given an intentional stroke, then within days, were treated with the umbilical stem cells," Chopp said. "Their functional improvement in motor skills, such as running on an accelerated treadmill, and their responses to a complete neurological exam showed remarkable improvement."
Though the studies should give millions of families hope, it will be at least a year before the research will be applied to patients because studies must check on the treatment's safety and effectiveness, Chopp said.
The finding on the effectiveness of umbilical stem cells doesn't mean that fetal cells should not be used in medical treatment, the neurologist stressed. "There still is a place for fetal cell therapy in research."
Still, anti-abortion groups were pleased. "It vindicates the argument we've been making for several years that this lifesaving research can go on without taking other human life," said Ed Rivet, legislative director for Right to Life.
