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Withered brain cells restored (in monkeys, anyway)

Posted by Hemos on from the i-can-only-get-smarter dept.

lisa writes "You've heard the old theory that we lose 10,000 neurons a day after the age of 20. Well, that may not be true. Scientists revived and restored aged brain cells thought to be dead in a group of old monkeys. " Interesting-very succesful tests-we'll see how the human trials go.

9 of 207 comments (clear)

  1. Out of curiosity ... by fable2112 · · Score: 3
    Given that we supposedly only use some rather low percentage of our brain capacity overall as it is, how exactly is this going to be helpful for most people? I can see, as some others have posted, why it might help in restoring brain cells that have suffered some sort of traumatic damage (like the guy who took the fencing foil up the nose and is now a classic neurology case study). But why restore cells that died a "natural" death, especially if they are some of the large percentage of cells that we don't use?

    --
    "Somebody exploded a letter-bomb today ... but it wasn't anybody I knew" -The Moody Blues, "Dear Diar
  2. ... by Signal+11 · · Score: 4

    Dr. Strauss sayz I should rite down evrything that happens too me from now on....

    --

  3. Nearly there... by rde · · Score: 3

    It's been coming for a while now; I reckon we're abut ten years away from a practical application.
    For more on regeneration, check this out.

    1. Re:Nearly there... by plunge · · Score: 4

      Okay- let's put a few of the stories over the past few weeks together. We have this story, on brain regeneration and reinvigoration. We have the story you just pointed out- spinal cord regeneration. And we have successful head transplants on monkeys- the central drawback of which is that the spine is still severed. Guess what all this equals? Almost certainly increased life spans for rich people. Within 10 years, we're going to be dealing with moral questions that we never even dreamed of before. Scary and wonderful stuff....

  4. Far-ranging implications by WombatControl · · Score: 4

    Ah... I can just see it now. Imagine, if we can someone revive or reactivate dead brain cells, what kind of world would we have?

    - Farrah Fawcett would finally get that Nobel Prize for her work on superstring theory that clearly shows the interrelations between the weak force and this year's hemlines.

    - AOL becomes the Internet center for reasonable discussion and carefully crafted thought.

    - Oprah's latest book club selection: "The Meditations Of Marcus Aurelius".

    - Network executives realize their impact on civilization, build an advanced spacecraft, and then hurl themselves into the sun. "Crusade" is renewed for four and half more seasons.

    - Cheech & Chong for President!

    Let's hope they actually get this work in humans. I recommend that they begin testing immediately. They could begin testing on lawyers - no one will bother to stop them, although one never knows if the data collected from them will be applicable to humans... :)

    No lawyers were harmed in this post. I'll try harder next time.

  5. Re:Alzheimers is a disease by fornix · · Score: 3
    Does anyone happen to know if there was ever any research done which points towards an atrophy in brain cells caused by Alzheimers as opposed to it simply destroying brain cells?

    Yes. The brain, as a whole, atrophies because of the loss of cells. The brain cells, on the other hand, do not atrophy, but rather become derranged (e.g. neurofibrillary tangles and plaques) and/or die. Under the microscope, Altzheimer's disease looks much different than simple nonspecific loss of brain cells. The neurons are dying in a very peculiar way.

  6. I don't want this just when I get really old by Jack+William+Bell · · Score: 3

    I want something now that would restore me to the level of intellectual and learning ability I had when I was 25. At the time I didn't put it to good use, but now (mhmm hmm years later) I think I could really use some extra brain cycles, plus I would have the wisdom to utilize them in a somewhat more constructive manner.

    Seriously, I am wondering why they want to restrict this to alzheimers patients. There is no doubt that our intellectual capacity lessens over time and that we peak in our early twenties. It doesn't mean we get stupid, but we certainly do take a little longer to make connections between things or learn something new. To be able to gain both the wisdom of age and the mental vigor of youth would be truly wonderful!

    And besides the above, how far are we from being able to pump up cerebral functioning to new levels? The gene therapy mentioned in the article merely revives new cells. Is there something that could add more? Or that could make the ones we have more effective? Dang it, I wanna be a genius instead of merely bright...

    Jack

    --
    - -
    Are you an SF Fan? Are you a Tru-Fan?
  7. Deep Thoughts by Eric+Seppanen · · Score: 4

    Excellent.

    There's hope for me yet.

    But do "revived" brain cells help you do useful things? Or, perhaps, are those simply "idiot" cells that the more advanced brain cells have killed out of mercy? It sure would be disappointing to go get my "brain cell revival" treatment, and find out that those were the brain cells that thought BASIC was cool.

    Or maybe those are "evil" cells that want me to kill and devour my roommates?

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    314-15-9265
  8. Re:The future of humanity by Bald+Wookie · · Score: 3

    In fifty years, we will have immortality.


    Hmmmm, I'm thinking that maybe I should become a divorce attorney...

    Gee your honor, I know, the whole till death do us part thing. I just didnt figure it would take a thousand years. Plus there is this hot little 90 year old at work your honor. I just want to prove I still got it, you know. I havent had a date in 300 years...

    BW