The concept is as simple as it is enticing: Take stem cells, which can develop into any type of cell, and turn them into replacements for body parts that are damaged or causing disease.
That's what Janice Naegele, Laura Grabel and the researchers in their laboratories at Wesleyan University are trying to do, creating new brain cells they hope will cure a form of epilepsy. The same premise lies at the root of a host of stem cell research projects around the world, aimed at curing diseases and conditions ranging from diabetes to bone injuries.
"It's relatively simple," Grabel said. "But, of course, in practice, it's not easy to do."
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In temporal lobe epilepsy, the seizures affect a particularly malleable part of the brain and may destroy the neurons that release GABA, making a person even more vulnerable to seizures.
Naegele and Grabel's work focuses on reversing that effect. The theory behind it: If you can replace the neurons that release GABA and restore the brain's ability to regulate activity — to maintain the stop signs — perhaps you can stop the seizures.
They are using mice to test the concept.
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From their previous research, Naegele and Grabel have shown that they can create neurons from stem cells that can be transplanted into mice brains and fit in with the other brain cells. Now they are trying to answer another series of questions. What is the best way to make neurons that release GABA? Will they start functioning as if they belong in the brain? Will they produce GABA, as intended? And will they keep the mice from having seizures?
