Neural kits may be used to detect threats

ATHENS, Ga., Sept. 26 (UPI) -- A U.S. scientist has discovered stem cells not only help resolve degenerative diseases but they can also aid in national defense.

"It's like a canary-in-a-coal-mine scenario," said University of Georgia Professor Steve Stice, who collaborated with the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory in developing neural cell kits to detect chemical threats.

Stice said the kits, which resemble small tool boxes, contain neural cells that can detect changes in electrical activity.

The system now being used in the monitoring device utilizes mouse neural cells. But such cells present two problems: they die quickly and they react differently to chemicals than do humans.

The current system can detect agents but can't identify them. "We may be able to further develop the system so that for some chemicals there are signatures that will lead to a future way to rapidly identify exactly what the chemical is," Stice said.

Stice's neural cell kits are created from human embryonic stem cell lines and last up to six months. "We've never tested to see how far beyond that they're viable," he said. "It could be much longer."

Stice said he believes the project has a huge potential for the U.S. Homeland Security and Defense departments.

Copyright 2007 by United Press International

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