Technologies

The subcortical white matter of adult humans harbors a pool of glial progenitor cells, which can be isolated by the FACS method of D-1997. Dr. Goldman discovered that the isolated progenitor cells are capable of giving rise to neurons as well as to glial cells. The white matter progenitor cells did not need to be specifically reprogrammed in any way to produce neurons. Rather, the cells were capable of producing neurons directly after their isolation, without the need of any manipulation.
The findings of this study may prove essential in providing a non-embryonic source of cells for cell-based therapies for the restoration of neural cells, including hippocampal neurons (in Alzheimer's, stroke, and epilepsy), and striatal neurons (in Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease and stroke).