STEM cells from growing foetuses can infiltrate the mother’s brain and start to form new tissue, research in mice has shown.

If the same observation is made in human beings, it could lead to new, non-invasive treatments for diseases such as brain damage, stroke, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Researchers in Singapore believe that the cells migrate to repair damage in the mother’s brain, New Scientist reports today.

It is already known that small numbers of foetal stem cells cross over the placenta and enter the mother’s bloodstream. They can survive and repair damage in the mother’s tissues, including skin and liver, sometimes for decades after the baby is born.

The new research, by a team at the National University of Singapore, the Singapore General Hospital and the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, shows this effect in brain cells for the first time. It provides much-sought proof that foetal cells can cross the blood-brain barrier and mature into almost all major types of brain cells.

Tracing the foetal cells to the mother’s brain was achieved by mating normal female mice with males genetically engineered to make a fluorescent protein.

It is not yet known whether the cells are functional. However, they do congregate in areas of the brain where there is tissue damage, suggesting they may have a role in repair.

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