Given the right environment, stem cells derived from bone marrow may have the potential to form full-fledged neurons, researchers in Norway report.

Previous studies have hinted that so-called hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) have only a limited ability to differentiate into neural cells, investigators note.

To investigate further, Dr. Joel C. Glover and colleagues from the University of Oslo implanted human HSCs into lesions of the developing spinal cord in chicken embryos and then followed their development with various techniques.

After 4 to 9 days, 16 percent of HSCs that integrated into the spinal cord began to express genetic markers indicative of neurons. About 10 percent of these cells showed characteristics of motor neurons.

In this week’s early online issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers say these findings suggest that exposing HSCs to the same cellular signals encountered in the chicken embryo could provide a way to grow new nerve cells from a patient’s bone marrow.

SOURCE: Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, March 21, 2005.