Study: Brain tissue can regenerate

GAINESVILLE, Fla., Aug. 18 (UPI) -- Researchers at the University of Florida in Gainesville have found that adult human brain tissue can regenerate when implanted into the brains of mice.

The revelation could pave the way for new treatments for such neurodegenerative disorders as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, New Scientist reported.

Lab tests have shown that mature brain cells have the ability to divide many times in culture. This is the first time that common human brain cells have appeared to be adaptable and self-renewing, New Scientist said.

Dennis Steindler and his colleagues transferred adult human brain cells into mice and found that they could generate new neurons and implant themselves in a variety of regions in the brain.

"We can, theoretically, take a single brain cell out of a human being and generate enough brain cells to replace every cell of the donor's brain," said Steindler.

In addition to pioneering new neurodegenerative therapies, Steindler said the ability to produce large numbers of brain cells outside of the brain could prove to be useful in testing the safety of new drugs.