Magnet used to pull neural cells from brain without any harm

10/02/2013 - 00:00


By Colin Barras -
It's like pulling a rabbit out of a hat. Researchers have reached inside the brain of a rat and pulled out neural stem cells – without harming the animal.

Since the technique uses nanoparticles already approved for use in humans, it is hoped that it could be used to extract neural stem cells (NSCs) from people to treat conditions like Parkinson's, Huntington's and multiple sclerosis.

Extracting NSCs from the person who needs them would avoid immune rejection – but they are difficult to remove safely. 
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