Stem Cell therapy and Aging.
Clive Niels Svendsen
Univeristy of Wisconsin-Madison
The Waisman Center
The aging brain undergoes both a breakdown in neural networks and a loss of specific groups of neurons. Until recently, the thought of reconstructing neural circuits or replacing cells lost through aging was deemed impossible. Stem cells are self replicating units which can replace tissues throughout the body lost through disease or injury. Neural stem cells have now been isolated which may be able to repair the damaged or aged brain. However, much work needs to be done to establish the efficacy of such cells and whether they can really be used to increase the quality of life in later years. This presentation suggests two possible ways in which stem cells may be used in models of aging. The first is simply as a source of new neurons to replace lost ones. This is complicated by the fact that the new neurons would have to put out new connections in an appropriate fashion, which may be difficult in the aged brain. The second, and more practical, is to use neural stem cells as a carrier for therapeutic proteins. We have developed ways of expressing genes within stem cells grown in culture, which can then be transplanted into models of disease. The model currently under study is the release of GDNF in a model of Parkinson's Disease. However, NGF secreting fibroblasts are already being used in one clinical trial for Alzheimer's disease. The idea of "ex vivo cellular gene therapy" is attractive for a number of reasons and could be used for a variety of different disorders. Whether it might be appropriate for "normal" aging will be discussed.
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