A researcher at Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Picower Institute for Learning and Memory has pinpointed stem cells within the spinal cord that, if persuaded to differentiate into more healing cells and fewer scarring cells following an injury, may lead to a new, nonsurgical treatment for debilitating spinal cord injuries.
The work, reported in the July issue of the journal PLoS (Public Library of Science) Biology, is by Konstantinos Meletis, a postdoctoral fellow at the Picower Institute, and colleagues at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden. Their results could lead to drugs that might restore some degree of mobility to the 30,000 people worldwide afflicted each year with spinal cord injuries.
In a developing embryo, stem cells differentiate into all the specialized tissues of the body. In adults, stem cells act as a repair system, replenishing specialized cells, but also maintaining the normal turnover of regenerative organs such as blood, skin or intestinal tissues.
The tiny number of stem cells in the adult spinal cord proliferate slowly or rarely, and fail to promote regeneration on their own. But recent experiments show that these same cells, grown in the lab and returned to the injury site, can restore some function in paralyzed rodents and primates.
The researchers at MIT and the Karolinska Institute found that neural stem cells in the adult spinal cord are limited to a layer of cube- or column-shaped, cilia- covered cells called ependymal cells. These cells make up the thin membrane lining the inner-brain ventricles and the connecting central column of the spinal cord.
“We have been able to genetically mark this neural stem cell population and then follow their behavior,” Meletis said. “We find that these cells proliferate upon spinal cord injury, migrate toward the injury site and differentiate over several months.”
The study uncovers the molecular mechanism underlying the tantalizing results of the rodent and primate and goes one step further: By identifying for the first time where this subpopulation of cells is found, they pave a path toward manipulating them with drugs to boost their inborn ability to repair damaged nerve cells.
“The ependymal cells’ ability to turn into several different cell types upon injury makes them very interesting from an intervention aspect: Imagine if we could regulate the behavior of this stem cell population to repair damaged nerve cells,” Meletis said.
To read the full press release, please visit web.mit.edu/.
Allen Institute for Brain Science Unveils World’s First Genome-wide Spinal Cord Atlas
The Allen Institute for Brain Science recently unveiled the groundbreaking Allen Spinal Cord Atlas, the world’s fi rst genome-wide map of the mouse spinal cord. Researchers can immediately access the free online data to advance their research surrounding spinal cord diseases and disorders.
“The Allen Spinal Cord Atlas offers profound potential for researchers to unlock the mysteries of the spinal cord and how it is altered during disease or injury,” said Allan Jones, chief scientific officer at the Allen Institute. “Our hope is that it will become a valuable resource for scientists- fueling breakthrough discoveries and benefiting the tens of millions of people suffering from spinal cord diseases and disorders worldwide.”
Until now, the scientific community’s efforts to research spinal cord injury and disease have been hindered by the absence of a genome-wide map of gene expression. The Allen Spinal Cord Atlas is designed to address a gap in the scientific community’s knowledge of gene expression in the spinal cord, giving researchers the gift of time in gathering data that might otherwise take months or years to discover.
“As a longtime member of the spinal cord research community, I’m incredibly excited about this project,” said Jane Roskams, PhD, associate professor, Brain Research Center & iCord at the University of British Columbia. “Although the spinal cord is small, injury or disease can be catastrophic. The problem is that we know very little about the genes that control different functions in the spinal cord-and this atlas will help researchers advance their work in quantum leaps, perhaps helping discover how to make spinal cord patients become mobile enough to take leaps of their own.”
To read the full press release, please visit www.alleninstitute.org.
Cases of Brain Infection Reported in Patients Taking MS Drug Tysabri
Biogen Idec Inc. and Elan Corp. recently reported that two patients taking its multiple sclerosis drug Tysabri have contracted a rare and potentially fatal brain disease called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). Three months after its launch in 2004, Tysrabi was pulled from the market due to the deaths of two patients who were diagnosed with PML after taking the drug. In 2006, the drug was reintroduced to the U.S. market with new warning labels and strict prescription guidelines. More than 31,800 multiple sclerosis patients use Tysabri, Biogen spokeswoman Naomi Aoki told Bloomberg. About 14,000 patients have taken Tysabri for more than a year, and 6,500 patients have taken it for 18 months or longer. “We’ve said ever since the reintroduction that we anticipate seeing additional cases,’” Aoki said. “Withdrawing the drug is not under consideration.”
To read more, please visit www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=ackheh59PkFY&refer=home
