A particular blood-clotting protein can hamper repair in the brain. Nerve cells then get exposed to the environment leading to impaired cognitive function and loss of an ability to transmit nerve signals to the brain faster. Read full report here.
This blood protein must be target for treating neurological disorders
HIGHLIGHTS
- A particular blood-clotting protein can hamper repair in the brain
- Cells required for repair for myelin exists in the central nervous system
- This will help patients get the appropriate treatment for their ailments
A new study reveals that a particular blood-clotting protein can hamper repair in the brain. Picture this: a bare wire without plastic coating on in is lying in front of you. The wire is unprotected and is exposed to everything that risks degrading it. Also, it may not be able to conduct electricity without any insulation. Now picture the same wire inside your brain. And this is what happens in case of most injuries like Multiple sclerosis, strokes and neonatal injuries and ever Alzheimer's.
This is what happens in your brain; it loses its protective coating and is then exposed to risks. Nerve cells then get exposed to the environment leading to impaired cognitive function and loss of an ability to transmit nerve signals to the brain faster.
In such diseases, the brain appears to activate mechanisms for myelin repair but fails to complete the process. Scientists have been trying for years to repair these mechanisms and check why it is halted because it plays a great role in overcoming all obstacles that are affecting the treatment of these diseases.
Also read: All You Need To Know About The Alzheimer's Disease
A research team at the Gladstone Institutes led by Katerina Akassoglou successfully came up with a solution for the same and surprisingly it is associated with a protein found in blood. They uncovered the fact that a blood-clotting protein namely fibrinogen leaks into central nervous system which then hampers the production of myelin in the brain which prevents repair.
The cells required for the repair for myelin exists in the central nervous system. These adult stem cells then travel to the places where damage has taken place and as they mature, myelin stops producing more cells. What happens in most neurological disorders is that the process gets hampered and brain fails to repair damaged myelin.
"We found that fibrinogen stops adult stem cells from transforming into the mature cells that produce myelin," explained first author Mark Petersen. "This blockade could be harmful for regeneration in the brain."
This has opened doors for researchers to start looking for new ways to locate fibrinogen in the blood for restoration of regenerative functions of the central nervous system. This will ultimately help patients with multiple sclerosis and other neurological disorders to get novel therapies and treatment for their disorders.
This study can be found in the journal Neuron.
With inputs from ANI
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