Pig brain cells could be implanted into human brains in USA by the beginning of next year if trials of a pioneering treatment for Huntington’s disease are approved by FDA.猪的脑细胞可植入人脑在美国由明年年初开始，如果审判开拓治疗亨廷顿氏病是由FDA的批准。


Similar tests on primates have proved “astonishingly successful” in treating the degenerative brain disease, according to researchers who carried out the work at Living Cell Technologies (LCT) in Auckland, New Zealand.类似的测试，灵长类动物已证明“惊人的成功”在治疗退化性脑疾病，据研究人员谁进行的工作，在活细胞技术（ lct ）在新西兰的奥克兰。

The injection of live animal cells into human brains is likely to raise ethical concerns and fears of pig viruses being transmitted to humans.注射活的动物细胞到人脑是可能提高的伦理问题令人关切和担忧猪病毒被传染给人类。 But researchers say the benefits of a cure outweigh such concerns.但研究人员说，带来的好处大于治愈这种关切。 “Yes, we have created a chimera, but one that is tolerated and beneficial,” says Bob Elliott, LCT’s medical director. “是的，我们已经创造了一种幻想，但是它是不能容忍的和有益的，说： ”鲍勃埃里奥特， lct的医务主任。

Huntington’s disease, which affects one in 100,000 people, has a prognosis so terrifying that many people with the gene in their family decline to be tested, preferring to live in ignorance of their fate.亨廷顿疾病，从而影响一在10.0万人，有一个可怕的预后，所以有很多人与基因在他们的家庭下降中得到检验，宁愿生活在无知，他们的命运。 Symptoms usually develop between the age of 30 and 50, and include uncontrollable twisting movements, progressing rapidly to disability, dementia and early death.症状通常发展，年龄介乎30至50 ，并包括不可控制的扭曲动作，进展迅速，残疾，痴呆和早期死亡。

The pig brain cells used in the treatment are not neurons but come from the lining of a brain structure known as a choroid plexus.猪的脑细胞常用于治疗不是神经元，但来自衬砌一脑结构称为一脉络丛。 They have a nurturing role, mopping up toxins, producing cerebrospinal fluid and secreting a range of hormones and proteins called neurotrophins that are essential for brain cell function and protection.他们有一个培育的角色，扫荡毒素，生产和脑脊液分泌一系列的荷尔蒙和蛋白质称为神经营养因子是必不可少的脑细胞功能及保护。 In Huntington’s disease, there is a significant reduction in these chemicals.在亨廷顿病，是有显着减少这些化学品。

“The findings are so remarkable that I am confident that the FDA [US Food and Drug Administration] will fast-track approval of clinical trials for early next year, and we will see product approval in two years,” says Al Vasconcellos, head of LCT’s BioPharma subsidiary in Providence, Rhode Island, which plans to carry out the human trials. “结果是如此显着，我深信， FDA的[美国食品和药物管理局将快车道批准的临床试验，为明年年初，我们将看到产品批准在两年后，说： ”基地vasconcellos ，团长lct的biopharma附属在普罗维登斯，罗得岛，其中计划进行人体试验。 “It’s the first time the disease itself can be treated rather than simply the symptoms.” “它的第一时间，疾病本身是可以治疗，而不是简单的症状” 。

Source:资料来源： New Scientist新科学家