New Findings for the Nervous System:

Scientists have found that a particular type of cell produces a protective sheath covering nerve fibers much more frequently than previously thought. The discovery of Schwann cells opens up the possibility of novel treatment options for nerve injuries and various forms of neuropathy. Further research can be useful in promoting myelin repair in central nervous system disorders including multiple sclerosis where the damage to the myelin slows or blocks electric signals from the brain. Professor and co-director of the Vollum Institute at OHSU in Portland, Oregon, and senior author Kelly Monk, Ph.D., stated, "This totally overturns the textbook definition of the way Schwann cells work." Axons are the thin projections of nerve cells that transmit electrical signals between cells, and up until recently, it was believed that only oligodendrocytes produced numerous myelin sheaths around them. According to a recent study, Schwann cells can also distribute myelin along several axons. Researchers conducted a genetic screen on zebrafish in the Monk laboratory when they made the discovery. The researchers discovered that some of the fish had more myelin than expected. Those fish carried a mutation in the fbxw7 gene. Researchers knocked out the gene in genetically modified mice. The researchers discovered that individual Schwann cells began spreading myelin across multiple axons. The discovery of Schwann cells generating myelin at the molecular level could lead to new gene-therapy techniques to repair damaged myelin in peripheral nervous system disorders.

Robinson, E. (2019). Discovery could lead to new therapies for nervous system disorders. OHSU News. Retrieved November 27, 2022, from htps://news.ohsu.edu/2019/07/05/discovery-could-lead-to-new-therapies-for-nervous-system-disorders