Neurological disorders or diseases of the brain, spine, and the nerves that connect them, affect millions of people each year. What’s more, many people don’t even know they have a neurological disorder. Understanding the symptoms of neurological disorders is foremost so that you can seek medical attention for correct diagnosis and effective treatment. Common symptoms include:
Scientists used to think that nerve cells were incapable of regeneration if they were damaged, this meant that when you were born, you would have all the neurons that you would ever have in your life, making it paramount to take care of them because, if they got damaged they would not come back. More recently, biologists have discovered that nerve cells probably can regenerate. They don’t just do it very often or very speedily, causing concern for people who injure their nerves or nervous system.
New research shows that stem cells might help with this problem, by themselves becoming neurons.
What are stem cells? Stem cells are the mother cells which can differentiate into any other specialised cells. Well, each cell in your body has a purpose. Muscle cells, for example, contract to move your body; skin cells form a barrier between the inside of your body and the outside world and nerve cells send information telling your body what to do. Scientists believe that if they can direct stem cells to turn into neurons, they might help paralysed people move again. They can make neurons from stem cells and inject those neurons into the body. With the advancement in this field, they might even be able to grow new organs (like kidney or heart) for people who need them, by using stem cells.
