Stem Cell Treatment Could Curb Alcoholism By Reducing Brain Inflammation
Baku, March 28, AZERTAC
A series of experiments by Chilean scientists imply that injections of a type of immune system-altering stem cell can stop binge drinking behavior in rats by reversing the neurological inflammation that comes with alcoholism, according to the iflscience.com website.
According to their findings, published in Scientific Reports, rats that were bred to prefer alcohol over water and given free access to ethanol for 12 weeks reduced their intake - which was equivalent to a person drinking more than a pint of pure alcohol a day - by 93 percent only 48 hours after a single injection of specially engineered human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), compared to those injected with a control substance.
The reduced desire to drink lasted for more than four weeks without any further treatment.
Previous research has shown that MSCs have potent anti-inflammatory effects, and given that so many disease processes are mediated through inflammation, scientists are excitedly testing whether MSCs are effective therapeutic agents.
Following an investigation that showed MSCs injected directly into the brains of booze-loving rats lowered alcohol intake and relapse drinking, the current study`s authors sought to develop and evaluate a stem cell treatment that could be administered through a regular, intravenous injection.
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