Memory cells in making

U.S. researchers have coaxed stem cells into becoming a type of brain cell that dies off early in people with Alzheimer's disease.

The new technology would provide a ready supply of cells for use in testing new drugs or even transplants to help restore lost memory. While most Alzheimer's research is done in genetically modified mice, the new technique would allow researchers to study a key aspect of the disease in human cells.

"These are cells that are critically important for memory functions," said Dr. Jack Kessler of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, who worked on the study.

Kessler said the team used embryonic stem cells to create the neurons, which are thought to be among the earliest brain cells lost in Alzheimer's disease.

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