myelin repair

Researchers find sulfuretin molecule may promote myelin repair

Researchers at the Oregon Health & Science University have discovered a plant-derived small molecule that can promote the growth of cells that produce myelin, the protective coating around nerve fibers that’s damaged in multiple sclerosis (MS). The naturally occurring molecule, sulfuretin, blocks the activity of an enzyme that…

Genetic modifications to myelin-making cells boost myelin repair

Transplanting genetically engineered oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs), which give rise to mature myelin-making cells, significantly boosted myelin repair in mice with multiple sclerosis (MS)-like chronic brain lesions. The cells were engineered to ignore chemical signals that would normally inhibit OPCs being recruited into lesions and then restore…

MS Australia awards incubator grants to four research projects

Four researchers working in multiple sclerosis (MS) were awarded incubator grants in MS Australiaā€™s latest funding round, which theyā€™ll use to kickstart projects designed to better understand the progressive neurodegenerative disease. Worth a total of AU$92,565, or roughly $60,000, this round of incubator grants provides seed funding…

Sugar molecule found to promote myelin repair in cell model

Treatment with polysialic acid, a sugar molecule naturally made in the body, may be a promising approach to boost myelin repair in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new study in lab-grown brain samples. Findings show that the molecule increased myelin repair, or remyelination, in the cell…

Pregnancy hormone estriol promotes myelin repair in MS mice

Treatment with estriol, a hormone that’s produced during pregnancy, reduced disease severity and promoted myelin repair in the cortex ā€” a key brain region affected in multiple sclerosis (MS) ā€” in a mouse model of the disease. Those are the main findings of the study, ā€œNeuroprotection in cerebral…

Quick MRI Method May Reliably Detect Myelin Repair in People

A quick MRI-based method called SyMRI may be useful in future clinical trials to test experimental myelin-repairing therapies in diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study shows. The study, “Quantification of individual remyelination during short-term disease course by synthetic magnetic resonance imaging,” was published inĀ Brain…

Study Uncovers How Interferon-beta May Be Helping to Treat MS

Researchers have discovered how interferon-beta, a common treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS), may be effective for people with the disease. Specifically, they found that red blood cells from MS patients have an unusually high ability to bind molecules that contribute to disease-related impairments in neuronal health and myelin repair,…

Heart Medication Digoxin Helps With Remyelination in Early Study

Digoxin, an approved medication for certain heart conditions, promoted the repair of myelinĀ ā€” the protective sheath around nerve fibers that is progressively lost in multiple sclerosis ā€” in mouse models of the disease, a study reports. Combining digoxin with an experimental immune-modulating therapy was more effective at promoting myelin…

Semi-synthetic Compound Promotes Myelin Repair in MS Mice

A man-made molecule derived from a naturally occurring amino acid was able to promote the repair of the myelin sheathĀ ā€” a fatty coating around nerve fibers that is damaged in multiple sclerosisĀ ā€” in a mouse model of the disease, a new study reports. “These findings suggest that ……

The Supplements of Mice and Men

Roll up, roll up, for all the fun of the fare! I swallow an awful lot of supplements. Have I also swallowed the barkers’ patter? I donā€™t think so. But Iā€™m more than aware that if something works on mice, then the chances of it working on me are likely…

Expert Voices: Current state of MS treatments and cure research

In this installment of our ā€œExpert Voicesā€ series, Multiple Sclerosis News Today asked Tim Coetzee, PhD, some of your questions related to the current state of multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment and cure research. Coetzee serves as the National MS Societyā€™s chief advocacy, services, and science officer. In this capacity, he…