Parkinson's skin cell reprogrammed into stem cell

14 July 2010 Last updated at 06:28 ET Help

A Oxford University team is reprogramming skin cells from those with Parkinson's into stem cells, to study the disease.

Stem cells have the ability to become any cell in the human body.

They will then grow these into nerve cells to create limitless quantities of cells to use in experiments and to test new drugs.

Nerve cells die in the brains of people with Parkinson's and this research funded by Parkinson's UK, hopes to investigate why.

The charity's director of research, Dr Kieran Breen, explained the procedure on the BBC Breakfast sofa.

READ MORE: Stem cell method put to the test

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