Discussion: Neurogenesis and Stem Cell Use

For full credit on discussions, you  must address all questions to be considered (see instructions below).

It was the belief for many years that the cells of nervous tissue do not regenerate.  In other words, until the last decade, researchers felt that when a neuron died, it was not replaced.  Therefore, injury and/or damage  to nervous tissue was likely permanent. 

In the last decade, researchers have learned that there are possible ways for patients who have suffered injuries to the nervous system to experience improvement.  One is through the use of stem cells, which are undifferentiated cells that can divide to make more stem cells and have the ability to specialize to become a wide variety of cells types.  The other discovery involves neurogeneisis, or formation of nervous tissue.  The idea of neurogenesis, and practices that will promote it, is also promising for us as we age, since neurons die as we age. 

You will find look at two links in this module before responding to this discussion.  One is a blog that debunks the myth that neurons do not regenerate.  The other is a short news segment that introduces the use of stem cells to treat spinal cord injuries.

For this discussion, you will respond with your thoughts on the implications of stem cell therapy and neurogenesis.  What could this mean for patients with nervous tissue injury and all of us as we age?

Your response should be thoughtful and related to content.  This discussion is due no later than Friday.