There’s new hope for a potential means to treat brain injuries and even neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.

Scientists at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children say metformin, a drug commonly used to control Type 2 diabetes, can help trigger stem cells to produce new brain cells.

The research involved lab-dish experiments using both mouse and human brain stem cells, as well as learning and memory tests performed on live mice given the drug.

Researchers hope to test metformin in people to see if it can spark new brain cell growth that would promote repair and recovery.

The study was published online yesterday in the journal Cell Stem Cell.