Neurosurgeons looking at stem cells from skin to fight brain tumors

Research team from Italy makes presentation on project at Congress of Neurological Surgeons Annual Meeting

A team of neurosurgeons and scientists from Italy is looking into whether stem cells derived from a brain tumor patient’s own skin can be used to fight the tumors. The researchers successfully grew stem cells from skin samples of adult patients with brain tumors. It is hoped that these cells can then be used as a new brain tumor therapy, which has been attempted successfully in mice. The Italian neurosurgeons made a presentation about their new study at the 54th annual meeting of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, which is being held jointly this year with the Italian Society of Neurosurgeons. The meeting, featuring dozens of seminars and courses led by world leaders in neurosurgery, is being held at the Moscone West Convention Center through Thursday.

Researchers found that mice with brain tumors that were treated with stem cells showed both increased blood supply and decreased tumor growth into the surrounding brain. These mice also lived on average 50 percent longer than mice that weren’t given this therapy.

The annual meeting provides continuing medical education for practicing neurosurgeons, neurosurgical residents in training, and post-graduate neurosurgical fellows, as well as allied health professionals, including nurses, physician assistants and clinical specialists. This education is provided through lectures, courses demonstrating neurosurgical techniques, exhibits about the newest instruments and technology in the neurosurgical community, and examples of clinical and laboratory advances in neurological surgery.

Media Contact

Edie E. Zusman EurekAlert!

All latest news from the category: Life Sciences and Chemistry

Articles and reports from the Life Sciences and chemistry area deal with applied and basic research into modern biology, chemistry and human medicine.

Valuable information can be found on a range of life sciences fields including bacteriology, biochemistry, bionics, bioinformatics, biophysics, biotechnology, genetics, geobotany, human biology, marine biology, microbiology, molecular biology, cellular biology, zoology, bioinorganic chemistry, microchemistry and environmental chemistry.

Back to home

Comments (0)

Write a comment

Newest articles

Lighting up the future

New multidisciplinary research from the University of St Andrews could lead to more efficient televisions, computer screens and lighting. Researchers at the Organic Semiconductor Centre in the School of Physics and…

Researchers crack sugarcane’s complex genetic code

Sweet success: Scientists created a highly accurate reference genome for one of the most important modern crops and found a rare example of how genes confer disease resistance in plants….

Evolution of the most powerful ocean current on Earth

The Antarctic Circumpolar Current plays an important part in global overturning circulation, the exchange of heat and CO2 between the ocean and atmosphere, and the stability of Antarctica’s ice sheets….

Partners & Sponsors