StemCells rare disease trial nets early positive results

Purified neural stem cells from StemCells Inc. that were transplanted into four young boys with a rare, fatal central nervous system disorder appear to have built a protective sheath around neurons in the brain.
The results are preliminary but could prove promising for Newark-based StemCells (NASDAQ: STEM) and patients with Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease, a condition that leads to coordination and motor problems and slower learning.
PMD is caused by a defective gene that leads to insufficient myelin in the brain.