November 25, 2011 | Suzy

I know slimming’s meant to help reveal a ‘new you’, but I think brain-cell transplants might be going too far. Scientists have discovered that cell transplants can fix faulty bits of brain in mice, which could help with much more than shedding a few pounds.

Mice whose brains couldn’t control their metabolism were given brain cells that could. The cells helped repair the mouse brains. Instead of getting obese, the mice just got a bit chubby.

This type of transplant might help treat Parkinson’s disease and spinal injuries in humans.

This research appears in the 24 November 2011 online issue of Science, the journal of AAAS, the non-profit society.