Gel Brain

A Squirt of Stem Cell Gel Heals Brain Injuries

INTRODUCTION
Scientists have developed a gel that helps brains recover from traumatic injuries. It has the potential to treat head injuries sufferedin combat, car accidents, falls, or gunshot wounds. Developed by Dr. Ning Zhang at Clemson University in South Carolina, the gel is injected in liquid form at the site of injury and stimulates thegrowth of stem cells there.

MAIN IDEAS
1. Brain injuries are particularly hard to repair, since injured tissues swell up and can cause additional damage to the cells.
2. More recently,scientists have considered transplanting donor brain cells into the wound to repair damaged tissue.
3. Dr. Zhang's gel, however, can be loaded with different chemicals to stimulate various biologicalprocesses at the site of injury.

SUPPORTING DETAILS FOR IDEA 1
1. So far, treatments have tried to limit this secondary damage by lowering the temperature or relieving the pressure at the siteof injury.
2. However, these techniques are often not very effective.

SUPPORTING DETAILS FOR IDEA 2
1. This method has so far had limited results when treating brain injuries.
2. Thedonor cells often fail to grow or stimulate repair at the injury site, possibly because of the inflammation and scarring present there.
3. The injury site also typically has very limited bloodsupply and connective tissue, which might prevent donor cells from getting the nutrients they require.

SUPPORTING DETAILS FOR IDEA 3
1. In previous research done on rats, she was able to use thegel to help re-establish full blood supply at the site of brain injury.
2. This could help create a better environment for donor cells.
CONCLUSION
In a follow-up study, Dr. Zhang loaded thegel with immature stem cells, as well as the chemicals they needed to develop into full-fledged adult brain cells. When rats with severe brain injuries were treated with this mixture for eight weeks,...