Our bones are much more than body tissues that keep us upright, in fact they could be used to cure a chronic disorder that severely effects our wellness and our ability to function. A recent study involved harvesting bone cells to convert them into new cells that successfully tackled Parkinson’s disease.
Why are bones special?
Our skeleton is a very strong, but light frame that is made up of hundreds of bones. These structures adapt to everyday and long-term changes in our body, becoming strong when necessary and repairing itself with ease. This process may not work so efficiently if we develop bone conditions like osteoporosis.
The syndrome can affect our wellbeing because bones become thinner increasing our likelihood of suffering from fractures. Brittle bones are usually preventable and treatable if we eat well, exercise and take medications to boost bone mineral density. Another reason that our bones are special, is because within the marrow are stem cells. These cells are being examined in clinics across the world, because when they are modified they could help us recover from serious illnesses.
Stem cells and Parkinson’s
We can get Parkinson’s disease if brain cells that make dopamine decline or stop functioning. When we don’t have enough dopamine then our muscles can go rigid, we can get tremors and have trouble mobilising. A study by the Riken Centre for Molecular Imaging Science harvested stem cells from bone marrow and modified them so they began acting like dopamine producing cells. The cells were then injected into animals that had Parkinson’s disease.
Results from the tests show that the harvested stem cells reduced the motor problems in the animals, indicating that the adapted cells were useful in controlling the symptoms of the dopamine-related health problem. Although we are some years away from using bone marrow stem cells to completely cure these kinds of problems, the research shows how our bones are important for our health in many different ways.