Scientists are exploring the ways in which your body’s sugars can be used to “create stem cell treatments for heart disease and nerve damage” according to a recent University of Manchester study.
As those with a spinal cord injury know well, nerve damage is hard if not impossible to completely recover from. This avenue of exploration may come up with some beneficial applications, making it easier for the body to repair that damage.
The sugars that our bodies produce instruct cells on “who” and what they are – what their function is in relation to the cells around them. Dr. Catherine Merry from The School of Materials in Manchester has been given a grant to figure out how cells make sugar and how that sugar influences cell behavior.
If Merry can determine how to make certain cells produce specific sugars, she can then train them to mend nerve damage along with other helpful applications. Keep an eye out for more research from the Materials Science Centre at the University of Manchester. With a major laboratory upgrade, this center is prepared to lead the way in cutting edge research covering everything from stem cells to molecular biology.