"(McMahon, 2012). The third concept of thought is to use stem cells such as MSC is drug delivery agents. "For example, instead of giving a drug systemically it is possible that stem cells could directly deliver the drugs within the brain from cell to cell for a more effective result>" (McMahon, 2012).
One discovery that was reported in 2012, came straight form researchers out of the University of California at San Diego School of Medicine. "Scientists successfully replicated Alzheimer's disease neurons with stem cells for the first time in a landmark multi-year study-an achievement that may lead to an even more critical new understanding of the disease" (UCSD, 2013). These researchers created in vitro models of genetic and sporadic forms of Alzheimer's disease, using pluripotent stem cells specifically from patients who suffered from this specific neurodegenerative disorder. The neurons were purified, meaning that they were separated from other types of cells, to reduce variability in the experiment. (UCSD, 2013). To create these neurons, the researchers extracted fibroblasts (skin cells) of two patients with sporadic Alzheimer's, two people with familial Alzheimer's and two people with no known neurological conditions at all. The researcher then reprogrammed the skin cells into stem cells, which then differentiated into working neurons. (UCSD, 2013) "By creating highly purified and functional human Alzheimer's neurons in a dish-this has never been done before and brings about a new hope to an end to AD," stated Dr. Lawrence Goldstein, professor in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Howard Hughes medical Institute Investigation and director of the UCSD Stem Cell Program, in a press release. (UCSD, 2013). This is just one of many successful research attempts that scientists worldwide are undertaking daily against this ravaging disease.
