Penn State research team develops technology for brain repair after injury

From Alzheimer's and stroke patients to spinal cord injury victims, new technology developed by Gong Chen and his research team at Penn State has the potential to repair neuron damage caused by brain injuries and neurological disorders.

Dean Andrew Stephenson, distinguished professor of biology and associate dean for research and graduate education, said while this technology is still at least five to 10 years away from being a therapy, it has great potential.

This is early stages, but it is an extremely promising breakthrough, Stephenson said.

Chen, professor of biology and Verne M. Willaman chair in life sciences, said this technology has the ability to help people who suffered from strokes or spinal cord injuries and it could also help Alzheimers patients.

If we can help them to regenerate new neurons and those new neurons can form new memories, they may be able to recognize their sons or daughters again and form new memories, Chen said.

For Alli Winslow (freshman-business), this technology could make a difference for her family. Winslow said she watched her grandmother suffer from Alzheimers, unable to recognize her daughter or granddaughter.

Any kind of research development Im always interested in learning more about. Alzheimers is genetic so it could affect my mom, Winslow said.

Looking forward, Chen said he is working on developing other ways to inject the treatment other than the current method of an injection directly into the brain. He is looking to develop technology that can deliver the NeuroD1 through an IV and eventually in the form of a pill.

Even now as he continues with the research, Chen said many potential patients have already contacted him about the technology.

Chen and his teams research has been recently published by the journal Cell Stem Cel l for his method to use in vivo reprogramming to turn reactive glial cells that form into regenerated functional neurons after brain injuries.

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Penn State research team develops technology for brain repair after injury