Stem Cells of People who experience Schizophrenia Could Lead to Breakthrough in Treatment

A new method for recreating the brain cells of patients with schizophrenia is being described as a breakthrough in treating the condition. Scientists used a technique to reprogram the skin cells of schizophrenic patients to become stem cells and then coaxed them become neurons. These were then compared to brain cells derived from the skin cells of healthy volunteers. That would allow scientists to test the effects of antipsychotic drugs. (Voice of America, 4/13/11)

Scientists Find How Antidepressants Make New Brain Cells

Scientists Find How Antidepressants Make New Brain Cells

Scientists report they have found out how antidepressants make new brain cells. The finding should help researchers develop better and more effective drugs for depression. In a study published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, researchers found that the drugs regulate the glucocorticoid receptor, which is a key protein involved in the stress response. They used human hippocampal stem cells, the source of new cells in the human brain, to investigate the effects of antidepressants on brain cells in a lab dish. (Reuters, 4/12/11) Reprinted at darkestcloset.blogspot.com.