Mechanism of anoxic depolarization in the brain disruption. Other consequential damage that occurs includes lipolysis, proteolysis, cell swelling, microtubule disaggregation, and DNA fragmentation. Neurons are more susceptible to brain ischemia than the supporting glial cells, because neurons have higher energy demand, conduct an action potential, and produce glutamate, whereas glial cells lack those properties. Yet neurons differ among themselves in their sensitivity to ischemia, depending on the specific properties they exhibit, relating to their locations in the brain. "Selective vulnerability" is the term used to describe how some parts of the brain are more sensitive to anoxia than others, and thus to ischemic insult. Anoxia-prone cells in
Human embryonic stem cells clinical trials approved trials must take place in California, scientists are hopeful that this funding will bolster future research in the field. Human embryonic stem cells clinical trials The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first clinical trial in the United States involving human embryonic stem cells on January 23, 2009. Geron Corporation, a biotechnology firm located in Menlo Park, California, originally planned to enroll ten patients suffering from spinal cord injuries to participate in the trial. The company hoped that GRNOPC1, a product derived from human embryonic stem cells, would stimulate nerve growth in patients with debilitating damage to the