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Proteins Could Help Re-Grow Damaged Nerve Cells
Discovery could be important to those with spinal cord injury, Alzheimer's 
URL of this page: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_35444.html
(*this news item will not be available after 07/28/2006)


 

HealthDay

Diana Kohnle

Wednesday, June 28, 2006



WEDNESDAY, June 28 (HealthDay News) -- Proteins that stimulate the growth of
cancer cells may also help re-grow nerve cells, offering hope against diseases
such as Alzheimer's or injuries such as paralyzing spinal cord damage,
researchers say.

The proteins, called Id proteins, are prevalent in several kinds of cancer, such
as brain cancer and breast cancer cells, as well as pediatric tumors. They have
been previously associated with the advancement of tumor growth and
metastasizing cancer.

But researchers at Columbia University in New York City found surprising results
when studying the proteins to determine how to prevent cancers from progressing.

"Our finding suggests that the same process this protein uses for proliferating
cancer could also potentially be used to re-grow axons that are damaged in
spinal cord injuries or neurological diseases," study author Dr. Antonio
Iavarone, associate professor of neurology and pathology at the university
medical center's Institute for Cancer Genetics, said in a prepared statement.
Axons are the long branch-like extensions that nerve cells use to make
connections.

Results of the study were published Wednesday in the journal Nature.

Once the researchers recognized the value in Id's regenerative properties, they
began applying them toward neurons and axons in the brains of patients with
neurological diseases.

They knew, however, that an enzyme called APC can destroy the Id protein in
healthy cells. So, the researchers developed a "super Id" protein that was
resistant to APC. This allowed axonal regeneration to proceed. The "super Id"
even encouraged the re-growth of axons in the presence of myelin, a substance
that usually inhibits axonal regeneration.

Iavarone's team suggested that this development will be helpful in restoring
function in patients who have sustained axonal damage and would benefit from
regeneration, such as those with Alzheimer's or spinal cord damage, without any
added risk of cancer.

Iavarone added that there is no chance that such a therapy would cause cancer in
the brain or spinal cord. "Neurons have completely lost the ability to create
new cells, so there's no danger of creating a tumor. The only growth they're
capable of is regeneration of their axons," he said. 





HealthDay

Copyright (c) 2006 ScoutNews LLC. All rights reserved.


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Related MedlinePlus Pages:

Alzheimer's Disease - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus//alzheimersdisease.html

Neurologic Diseases -
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus//neurologicdiseases.html 
Spinal Cord Injuries -
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus//spinalcordinjuries.html 
Date last updated: 29 June 2006


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