• Question: Do you think we will ever be able to reverse the effects of a neurodegenerative disease?

    Asked by spacenut1982 to Christina, Colin, Jess, Samaneh, Steve on 22 Jun 2013.
    • Photo: Jess Bean

      Jess Bean answered on 22 Jun 2013:

      There are some hopes that neurodegenerative diseases could be treated by special cells called stem cells. These are like ’empty’ cells that are yet to become specialised cells (like skin or liver cells). Scientist can put these stem cells into damaged tissue like a damaged nerve fibre and the cells will turn into the desired cell. So damaged nerve cells can be replaced with new cells made from stem cells!

    • Photo: Christina Pagel

      Christina Pagel answered on 22 Jun 2013:

      Yes I think eventually we will be able to – and as Jess says, stem cells seem like our best bet…

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