Cultivating neurons in chickens

Chicken foetus. The cells in chicken foetuses have special qualities that may mean they can be used in research to help people who are paralysed. PHOTO: PHOTONICA.NO The discovery took place when scientists cultivated stem cells from humans in a chicken foetus. The stem cells evolved into types of cells other than they were initially ?programmed? to be.

Dependent on neurons

To appreciate this medical sensation, we must take a few steps backward. When you move, your brain sends signals through your neurons to your muscles. If some of your neurons are destroyed, the signals will fail to reach their goal. That can leave you paralysed.

Unfortunately, your body cannot replace those neurons with new ones. But now is there is new hope!

This is what a neuron looks like. PHOTO: SPL/GV-PRESSStem cells

Your bone marrow contains some very important cells known as stem cells which develop into blood cells and immune cells. Nothing else. However, that is not exactly the whole truth: Back when you were a tiny foetus in your mother's womb, your stem cells could do far more. In fact, they developed into all the different types of cells found in your body. This means that some stem cells became neurons.

Stem cells in chicken foetuses

That gave researchers at the University of Oslo and the National Hospital an idea. They wondered what would happen if they injected stem cells from adult humans into chicken foetuses. You see, young chicken foetuses do not usually reject foreign cells.

The researchers removed a tiny bit of the spinal marrow of the chicken foetus and replaced it with human stem cells. In just a few days, the human cells had developed into new neurons. At the moment, the researchers are trying to understand why that happened. Their goal is to inject neurons into the spinal marrow of people who are paralysed to enable them to move again.

Translation: Linda Sivesind

*Published in 'Nysgjerrigper' no. 3/06*