April 18, 2011 4:00 p.m.

Collaboration to explore use of neural stem cells to treat Alzheimer's »

Frank LaFerla, director of UCI's Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders (UCI MIND) and a world-renowned leader in Alzheimer's disease research, has partnered with StemCells Inc. to study the therapeutic potential of the Palo Alto-based company's human neural stem cells. LaFerla has shown that mouse neural stem cells enhance memory in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease, and the goal of this collaboration is to replicate these results with StemCell Inc.'s purified human neural stem cell line. "Novel treatment approaches for Alzheimer's disease are urgently needed," LaFerla said. "From what we've seen to date, we believe that neural stem cells may hold the key to impacting the course of this debilitating disease, and we look forward to working with StemCells Inc. to explore this exciting prospect."

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