(AP) - Scientists report a breakthrough that could one day help treat Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and spinal-cord injuries. They've produced nerve cells in the lab by using stem cells drawn from bone marrow.

      It could lead to doctors taking cells from a patient's bone marrow, turning them into nerve cells and then injecting them into patients' brains and spinal cords to replace injured cells. Human testing of the technique is still years away, but other researchers are excited about the possibilities.

      A doctor at the University of Illinois says it's a "truly significant step" toward developing new ways to repair brain damage.

      The research was funded in part by the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation.

      Findings are published in the Journal of Neuroscience Research.