News Multiple Sclerosis Patients Could One Day Benefit From Brain Boost Study Multiple Sclerosis Patients Could One Day Benefit From Brain Boost Study by Isaura Santos | April 8, 2015 Share this article: Share article via email Copy article link A recent study suggests that in the futureĀ multiple sclerosis patients could benefit from treatments intendedĀ to boost their brain function. The study was published inĀ Nature NeuroscienceĀ and receivedĀ funding fromĀ The Wellcome Trust, the Lister Research Prize and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council. According to researchers, patients suffering fromĀ multiple sclerosis could benefit from anĀ increase of neuronal activity, as it canĀ stimulate theĀ production of a substance whose function is to protect nerve fibers.Ā This findingĀ could open doorsĀ for new treatments and approaches. Information is transmitted in the brain throughĀ axons, also known as nerve fibers. A material known asĀ myelin forms a layer around axons, keeping them healthy and helpingĀ to accelerate the transfer of information. When there isĀ myelin damage, diseases such asĀ multiple sclerosis can occur. How brainĀ activity controls myelin production was not clear in the past. However, in this study,Ā researchers managed toĀ examine how modifications inĀ the activity of neurons can affectĀ the amount ofĀ myelin productionĀ in the brains of zebrafish. The teamĀ found that reducedĀ brain function resulted in a decreasedĀ amount of total myelin production,Ā a situation that was invertedĀ by 40 percent when fish neuronal activity was increased.Ā Nonetheless, before translating these results intoĀ novelĀ therapies, researchersĀ need to have a deeper understanding of howĀ brain function controls the processes ofĀ coating axons with myelin. [adrotate group=”4″] “We have a long way to go before we fully understand how our brain activity regulates myelin production, but the fact that this is even something that the brain can do is a good news story. We are hopeful that one day in the future we may be able to translate this type of discovery to help treat disease and to maintain a healthy nervous system through life,” explainedĀ David Lyons that led this study. MS Society’s representative, Dr Emma Gray, concluded: “The more we learn about how myelin production happens in the brain, the more chance we have of developing effective and targeted therapies to repair myelin in people with MS.” Print This Page About the Author Isaura Santos Isaura Santos graduated with a BS in Cell and Molecular Biology from Universidade Nova de Lisboa and a MA in Communication, Culture and Information Technologies from University Institute of Lisbon (ISCTE-IUL). Her professional interests include science communication, public awareness of science and communication of science through entertainment. Tags MS Society, multiple sclerosis, myelin
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