Researchers at Cedars-Sinai’s Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute have discovered that stem cells from whole adult bone marrow can be differentiated into several types of cells of the central nervous system. From a Science Daily article, the hope is that this renewable supply of neural stem cells can be transplanted to treat stroke, brain tumors and neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson’s Disease–without the ethical issues associated with the use of fetal stem cells nor the potential problems with tissue rejection and uncontrolled growth of stem cells cultivated in a lab dish. The results of the study appear in the December issue of the journal Experimental Neurology.

Accorrding to a CNN article, the team injected genetically engineered neural stem cells into rats with stroke-related brain lesions. 48 hours later, transplanted cells were found throughout the damaged part of the brain. Similar results have been seen in human tissue, and Cedars-Sinai hopes to start testing the new technique in stroke or brain tumor patients within a year.