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Published online 14 March 2003 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news030310-11
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Lithium livens up stem cells
Anti-depressant may help treat Alzheimer's disease.
Lithium, the standard drug for manic depression, might also help to treat other brain conditions such as stroke and Alzheimer's disease, new research suggests1.
The simple salt stimulates stem cells growing in a dish to multiply faster, hinting that it could prompt stem cells in the brain to produce new cells to replace those damaged by disease.
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