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Stem cell injections repair spinal cords in miceMice with severe spinal cord injuries regained much of their ability to walk normally after ...

Stem cell injections repair spinal cords in mice
Mice with severe spinal cord injuries regained much of their ability to walk normally after getting injections of stem cells taken from the brains of human fetuses, scientists in California reported earlier this week.

The work strengthens recent evidence that various kinds of stem cells 8212; including some from human embryos and others from fetuses 8212; have the capacity to nurse injured nerve cells back to health and in some cases even become replacement neurons themselves.

Scientists cautioned that the approach was not ready for testing in patients. 8220;This is a first step in what has to be a long series of steps to get to anything clinical,8221; said Aileen Anderson, a neuroscientist at the University of California at Irvine, who led the latest work with colleague Brian Cummings.

But at least three companies are racing to become the first to inject their neural stem cells into patients, and some researchers say the first of those studies could begin within the next nine months.

Study finds higher mercury levels in coastal women
Women in coastal communities have twice as much mercury in their blood as those living inland, according to an analysis by an Environmental Protection Agency scientist.

The preliminary findings, based on a survey of 3,600 women conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention between 1999 and 2002, provide fresh evidence of the link between fish consumption and concentrations of methylmercury, a neurotoxin that causes developmental problems in young children.

The study focused on the 10 pc of women with the highest levels, and in that group, it found that inland residents had an average level of 2.4 parts per billion, compared with 5.9 parts per billion for coastal residents. EPA guidelines hold that mercury levels higher than 3.5 parts per billion pose a health threat. Mercury, spewed into the air in emissions from power plants, ends up in water and accumulates in predator fish such as tuna and swordfish.

8212; Agencies