Nerve Cell Regeneration

NERVE CELL: The function of a neuron is to communicate information. Nerve cells control sensations in the body and other functions such as help to store memory in the brain.

A Degenerative disease is a disease in which the function or structure of the affected tissues or organs will progressively deteriorate over time. Alzheimer's disease is a degenerative and terminal disease & is associated with plaques and tangles in the brain. Huntington’s disease: is a rare genetic neurological disorder inherited by approximately 3 to 7 per 100,000 people of Western European descent. Degenerative Diseases: Cause of Brain Damage

Alzheimer’s Disease: Brain Degeneration Alzheimer’s disease shrinks the brain which shows signs of degeneration of nerve cells, tangled protein filaments and lesions.

Nerve Cells In Tangles In Brain Brain

What Is Nerve Regeneration? Renewal or physiological repair of damaged tissue in any part of the nervous system. Replacement of damaged cells and restoration of function can be accomplished by transplantation of cells derived from different sources, such as human foetal tissue, genetically modified cell lines, embryonic or somatic stem cells.

Regenerated Nerve Cells

Types of Nerve Damage

Types of Nerve Regeneration Microchip Implant Biodegradable Implant Stem Cell Cloning Gene Manipulation

Microchip Technique Western Canada Regeneration Initiative Already implanted tiny silicon rods into trauma patients called “regeneration tubes” to direct injured nerve cells to grow in the right directions

MICROCHIP TECHNIQUE : By using electric currents emitted through microchips implanted in the regeneration tubes they hope to direct injured nerve cells to grow in the right directions and to speed up the regeneration Patients may one day be helped by new microchip technology that will allow doctors to repair and regenerate nerves that have been ravaged by injury or disease.

Stem Cell Technique Clones of healthy human brain cells are being used in experiments to repair and re- create damaged nerve cells. Transplanted these cells into mice and have shown that the implants replace missing or deficient brain cells.

Stem Cell Technique Besides replacing missing or faulty genes, stem-cell transplants might be used to boost the performance of genes needed to regrow nerves after injuries or replace cells due to disease.

Biodegradable Implant Technique Use a biodegradable polymer containing a chemical that mimics the neurotransmitter acetylcholine to spur the growth of neurites, which form the connections between neurons. The polymers would guide the growth of the regenerating nerve.

Biodegradable Implant Technique Ultimate goal is to create a conduit for nerve regeneration that guides the neurons to regenerate, but gradually degrades so that it won’t constrict the nerves permanently.

Possible Benefits of Nerve Regeneration: Repaired ability to function Re-growth of healthy nerves Re-gain function: neurologically in brain and body nerve cells. Possible cure for many degenerative diseases such as Parkinson's, Huntington's, and Alzheimer’s disease. Possible cure for spinal cord injuries and brain damage.

Conclusion: Regeneration is going to be the future of medicine. It may take 10 or 20 years to get there, but the ultimate goal is to help the body fix itself, and tissue growth is the first step in that process.

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