Increasing Protective Myelin Coating

Researchers recently discovered a way to rapidly produce large populations of cells that grow into the protective myelin coating on nerves in mice by using pluripotent epiblast stem cells. This will lead to further research and hopefully to future treatments of sclerosis, cerebral palsy, and other diseases that that damage this myelin coating. Even though this experiment was performed only on mice, the fact that it was successful provides a solid framework for the ability to produce similar results in humans. This myelin coating that can be restored with these stem cells protects nerve axons and helps distribute nerve signals. The damage of this coating is expressed with such symptoms as loss of coordination and cognitive function. It has long been know that pluripotent stems cells have the potential to differentiate into myelinating cells, called oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPC), but trying to produce these cells has resulted in a slurry of cell types which are unusable for study or therapy. The main improvement this article addresses is the ability to produce these myelin cells in a great quantity which allows for the study of modulators that aloow cells to differentiate into these OPC's. This research is a great accomplishment in the advancement of treatment for many demyelinating diseases that affect a vast quantity of people around the world.

URL: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110925185427.htm