Provalis - A transformation to growth

Pay close attention to any developments in using "Stem Cell" technology.

This is a long way off but I have seen a demonstration on television where they broke a rats spine in two and then injected stem cells onto the spinal area of the same rat .......Within 2 days the rat was able to walk again and the spine had fused back together with all the ligaments etc.

So any reference to cures using this technology should be taken seriously although must be a minimum of at least 5 - 10 years away from human use.

Purest UK Stem Cell 'play' that I know of is ReNeuron, see recent press release below..

By Ben Hirschler, European Pharmaceuticals Correspondent

LONDON, Sept 11 (Reuters) - A British firm pioneering stem cells as a treatment for brain damage said on Wednesday it believed it had cracked a production problem which has delayed development of the controversial technology. ReNeuron Holdings Plc, Europe's first listed stem cell company, now expects to start human trials in 2004 - three years later than originally hoped. Plans to treat Parkinson's disease and stroke by injecting foetal stem cells into patients' brains were put on hold last year following the discovery that cell lines became genetically unstable after being recreated many times.

Now ReNeuron, which faces competition from rival groups in the United States, has found a way round the problem by licensing rights to a patent from Australia's Amrad Corp covering cell immortalisation. "We've been struggling for the last year and a half with this stability problem, but I'm optimistic that we are going to crack it now," Chief Executive Martin Edwards told Reuters.

Stem cells - master cells that can develop into specialised tissues in the body - hold the promise for treating a range of diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, Parkinson's and spinal cord injuries. Their use, however, is highly controversial, partly because the most promising stem cells are derived from human embryos. Britain, home to world's first test-tube baby and Dolly the cloned sheep, has positioned itself as a leader in the field, with the world's most relaxed laws on research. A stem cell "bank" is being funded by the government's Medical Research Council and could be running in a year.

END

Blimey, I surprise myself sometimes !

Spec BLT