MSGID: 1:317/3 63db3c65   
   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
    Researcher takes another step toward discovering how a brain molecule   
   could halt MS    
    Fractalkine appears to trigger repair of brain damage caused by the   
   disease.    
      
     Date:   
         February 1, 2023   
     Source:   
         University of Alberta   
     Summary:   
         A researcher is one step closer to demonstrating the potential   
         of a brain molecule called fractalkine to halt and even reverse   
         the effects of multiple sclerosis and other neurodegenerative   
         diseases. Researchers injected fractalkine into mice with chemically   
         induced MS. They found the treatment increased the number of new   
         oligodendrocytes -- vital brain and spinal cord cells that produce   
         myelin in both embryonic and adult brains -- which are damaged   
         during the MS autoimmune attack.   
      
      
         Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIN Email   
   FULL STORY   
   ==========================================================================   
   A University of Alberta researcher is one step closer to demonstrating the   
   potential of a brain molecule called fractalkine to halt and even reverse   
   the effects of multiple sclerosis and other neurodegenerative diseases.   
      
      
   ==========================================================================   
   Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease in which the myelin, or   
   fatty lining of nerve cells, is eroded, leading to nerve damage and   
   slower signalling between the brain and the body. MS symptoms range from   
   blurred vision to complete paralysis, and while there are treatments,   
   the causes are not fully understood and nothing exists to reverse the   
   disease process. More than 90,000 Canadians live with MS, according to   
   the MS Society.   
      
   In new research published in Stem Cell Reports,Anastassia Voronova,   
   an assistant professor and Canada Research Chair in Neural Stem Cell   
   Biology, injected fractalkine into mice with chemically induced MS.   
      
   She found the treatment increased the number of new oligodendrocytes --   
   vital brain and spinal cord cells that produce myelin in both embryonic   
   and adult brains -- which are damaged during the MS autoimmune attack.   
      
   "If we can replace those lost or damaged oligodendrocytes, then they   
   could make new myelin and it is believed that would halt the disease   
   progression, or maybe even reverse some of the symptoms," Voronova   
   says. "That's the Holy Grail in the research community and something   
   that we're very passionate about."  Voronova's earlier research tested   
   the safety and efficacy of fractalkine in normal mice and found similar   
   beneficial effects. Other researchers have demonstrated that fractalkine   
   may provide protection for nerves in mouse models before the disease is   
   induced, but this is the first time it has been tested on animals that   
   already have the disease.   
      
   Voronova and her team observed new oligodendrocytes, as well as   
   reactivated progenitor cells that can regenerate oligodendrocytes,   
   in the brains of the treated animals. Remyelination occurred in both   
   the white and grey matter. The researchers also observed a reduction in   
   inflammation, part of the damage caused by the immune system. Next steps   
   for the treatment include testing it in other diseased mouse models,   
   including those with neurodegenerative diseases other than MS.   
      
       * RELATED_TOPICS   
             o Health_&_Medicine   
                   # Nervous_System # Immune_System # Stem_Cells #   
                   Brain_Tumor   
             o Mind_&_Brain   
                   # Brain_Injury # Neuroscience # Multiple_Sclerosis #   
                   Alzheimer's   
       * RELATED_TERMS   
             o Multiple_sclerosis o Stem_cell o Embryonic_stem_cell   
             o Brain_tumor o Brain o Adult_stem_cell o   
             Excitotoxicity_and_cell_damage o Stem_cell_treatments   
      
   ==========================================================================   
   Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Alberta. Original   
   written by Gillian Rutherford. Note: Content may be edited for style   
   and length.   
      
      
   ==========================================================================   
   Journal Reference:   
      1. Monique M.A. de Almeida, Adrianne E.S. Watson, Sana Bibi, Nicole L.   
      
         Dittmann, Kara Goodkey, Pedram Sharafodinzadeh, Danny Galleguillos,   
         Maryam Nakhaei-Nejad, Jayasankar Kosaraju, Noam Steinberg,   
         Beatrix S.   
      
         Wang, Tim Footz, Fabrizio Giuliani, Jing Wang, Simonetta   
         Sipione, Julia M. Edgar, Anastassia Voronova. Fractalkine   
         enhances oligodendrocyte regeneration and remyelination in   
         a demyelination mouse model. Stem Cell Reports, 2023; DOI:   
         10.1016/j.stemcr.2022.12.001   
   ==========================================================================   
      
   Link to news story:   
   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/02/230201134234.htm   
      
   --- up 48 weeks, 2 days, 10 hours, 50 minutes   
    * Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)   
   SEEN-BY: 15/0 106/201 114/705 123/120 153/7715 226/30 227/114 229/110   
   SEEN-BY: 229/111 112 113 114 307 317 400 426 428 470 664 700 292/854   
   SEEN-BY: 298/25 305/3 317/3 320/219 396/45   
   PATH: 317/3 229/426