The idea of repairing damaged axons — a key component of advancing disability in multiple sclerosis (MS) — just got closer to reality, with the discovery that a compound found in fungi triggered axon regeneration, making damaged axons grow “like weeds.”
Scientists have long struggled to find compounds that stimulate the repair of axons, the long, thread-like neuron appendages that send signals to other cells.
The study, “Small-Molecule Stabilization of 14-3-3 Protein-Protein Interactions Stimulates Axon Regeneration,” appeared in the journal Neuron.
The discovery was made with the help of PhD candidate Andrew Kaplan, working in the laboratory of Dr. Alyson Fournier, a neurology and neurosurgery professor at Canada’s McGill University. Fournier’s team had been focused on axon regeneration for some time, particularly a group of proteins with known neuroprotective properties called 14-3-3.
Previous studies had shown that when plants are hit by certain fungal infections, they react by shedding their leaves and growing roots. The fungal molecule responsible for this, fusicoccin-A, is known to affect 14-3-3. So while plant roots and human nerve cells are indeed very different natural phenomena, Kaplan figured that these insights may prove valuable.
“While 14-3-3 is the common denominator in this phenomenon, the identity of the other proteins involved and the resulting biological activities differ between plants and animals,” said Kaplan in a news release.
The team decided to use fusicoccin-A to treat lab-grown neurons with damaged axons.
“When I looked under the microscope the following day, the axons were growing like weeds,” said Kaplan.