October 29, 2020 News by Teresa Carvalho, MS Newly Discovered Type of Immune Cells May Be Key in Treating MS A recently identified group of immune cells saved damaged nerve cells from death and promoted nervous system repair, a new study suggests. This finding may represent new promise for treating neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The study, “A new neutrophil…
October 6, 2020 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Pathway and Its Proteins Found to Control Myelin Repair, Renewal A pathway controlled by three proteins ā Daam2, Nedd4, and VHL ā was identified by researchersĀ as a key regulator of myelin production during central nervous system development and regeneration after injury. Myelin,Ā the protective fatty layer that covers nerve fibers and helps to speed transmission of signals between nerve cells,…
May 21, 2020 News by InĆŖs Martins, PhD Learning Physical Task Seen to Trigger Myelin Repair in MS Mouse Model Movements that are an act of “learning” motor tasks after lesions appearĀ in the protective myelin sheath of neurons seem to induce both new and existing oligodendrocytes ā the cells that make up myelin ā to repair those lesions, a study in mice shows. Precisely timed rehabilitation programs and exercise may…
October 2, 2019 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD NFIA Protein Essential to Astrocytes, Brain Cells Active in Spinal Cord Repair and Remyelination, Study Suggests A protein known as nuclear factor I-A (NFIA) is key for spinal cord repair and timely remyelination by astrocytes ā the most abundant cells in the brain and first responders to sites of injury, findings in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS) suggest. In brain lesions, NFIA is…
January 9, 2018 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Cholesterol Buildup Limits Regeneration of Nerve-cell-protecting Sheath, Study Shows The nerve-cell-protecting myelin sheath’s failure to remove cholesterol after the membrane has been damaged limits its ability to regenerate, German researchers report. Their finding has important implications for multiple sclerosis because a hallmark of the disease is nerve cell deterioration stemming from damaged myelin. Cholesterol is a waxy, fatty substance…
November 2, 2017 News by Janet Stewart, MSc Myelin-producing Brain Cells Regenerated Using Stem Cells in Early Study Researchers, using two different kinds of stem cells in rats, were able to regenerate oligodendrocytes ā myelin-producing brain cells that are defective in multiple sclerosis (MS). They were also able to grow adult neural stem cells in laboratory cultures and prod them to develop into oligodendrocytes. The exact cause of MS is unknown ā including what triggers attacks on myelin ā but the loss of oligodendrocytes seen in the disease is known to play a role in its progression. Nerve cells in the brain send their signals through their axons, long arm-like structures that extend out from the centers of the nerve cells. The signals are electrical pulses transmitted along the length of an axon.Ā Oligodendrocytes provide the insulation ā called myelin ā that wraps around axons, speeding up the transmission of electrical signals through the nerve cells. Loss or malfunction of oligodendrocytes means that signaling in the brain is impaired. It is this slowing of signaling that is thought to cause MS symptoms. Researchers from the Heinrich-Heine-University, Germany, with support from British and Chilean colleagues, designed a novel approach to regenerate oligodendrocytes, according to a press release. Stem cells are immature cells that give rise to differentiated cells ā cells with a specific function, such as oligodendrocytes. Adult neural stem cellsĀ can divide and produce nerve cells and other brain cells, including oligodendrocytes. However, in normal circumstances, the regeneration of cells that take place in the human brain is not enough to repair the damage seen in MS. The researchers set out to find conditions that would promote the differentiation of adult human NSCs into oligodendrocytes. They discovered that another type of stem cell, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), could provide the signals required. First they tested their system in rats, and found that by using factors produced by human MSCs, they could induce the growth of new oligodendrocytes in the animals. Then they grew adult NSCs in the laboratory, and using the same factors from human MSCs were able to promote the establishment of oligodendrocytes in the cultured cells.
December 7, 2016 Columns by Judy Lynn Winter Is a Time to Recharge Amid Nature’s Quiet Our daylight hours continue to get shorter, as we get closer and closer to the winter solstice. At 4:15 p.m. I close the curtains and blinds, uncomfortable sitting on display in my living room as I continue to work until 5:30Ā most evenings. Itās difficult to motivate myself to leave…