Scientists at Lund University in Sweden showed long ago they could reprogram human cells into nerve cells and implant them into the brains of rats after a stroke. But would the cells form the vital connections needed to restore mobility and sensations like touch?
Now, they have early evidence that the answer to that question is yes. The Lund team turned skin cells into nerve cells, transplanted them into the brains of the rodent stroke models and observed them for six months. The new cells repaired the damage caused by strokes in the animals, the researchers reported in the journal PNAS.
