One of the big shifts in our understanding of brain structure and function, over the past decade or so, has been our improved understanding of the process of neurogenesis in adults. It is more more common than had been assumed previously. It turns out that neurons are not the only brain cells that change in such dynamic ways. New neuroglia can be generated as well.
This is potentially important to the pathophysiology of demyelinating illnesses such as MS. Since myelin is produced by oligodendrocytes, it is conceivable that creating more oligodendrocytes could alleviate the disease.
The investigators in the study were investigating the observation that MS often improves during pregnancy. At first, they thought this probably was due to changes in the immune system. They developed mouse models to investigate this. What they found was a complete surprise.
Hormonal Surge During Pregnancy Repairs Faulty Brain Signaling
New study finds that the release of prolactin strengthens neuron insulation, which could one day help reduce the effects of multiple sclerosis
By Nikhil Swaminathan
In what could give hope to the 2.5 million sufferers of multiple sclerosis (MS) worldwide, a new study reports that the hormone prolactin, the levels of which spike during pregnancy, mended nerve damage in mice...
..."It was thought that during pregnancy, their immune systems no longer destroyed the myelin," says Samuel Weiss of Hotchkiss Brain Institute in Calgary and co-author of the study published in The Journal of Neuroscience. "No previous study has tested whether pregnancy actually results in the production of new myelin, which may explain [the] improvement of symptoms."...
Through an elegant series of experiments, they developed strong evidence to suggest that it is the increase in prolactin during pregnancy that results in an increase in the number of oligodendrocytes, and an increase in the amount of myelin produced.
Of course, this is still a long way from any potential clinical application in humans, but still, it is a very encouraging finding.
Comments
I'd like to know why the adjective "elegant" is so consistently paired w/ "study" when people are trying to praise methodology. Surely we can come up w/ some other adjectives that are less hackneyed and equally (or even more) descriptive. My God, I'm tired of "elegant". Here are some alternatives: "deft"; "nicely designed"; "well thought out"; "pithy yet degenerate"; "face-lifted dowager"; "sedate but alert" -- and I didn't even use a thesaurus.
Posted by: stumpy | February 28, 2007 10:34 AM
The word "elegant" serves a purpose. It covers up the fact that they had to cut the heads off a great many mice in order to come to this conclusion.
Posted by: Joseph j7uy5 | February 28, 2007 3:38 PM
I am certainly the the last one that would want to offend anyone. Yep, here it comes ... BUT, Do you live with this disease on a daily basic, and I don't mean through the eyes of others (or mouses). If not just look at it from our side. We stopped seeing the little negative things people do in everyday life and we started to notice those great little things people were doing for us without even nowing who we are. so to joseph j7uy5 let me say, I am sorry you were critisized for your post. To stumpy,you know you might find kindness under a ROCK, I of cource wouldn't now but perhapes you could investigate and bring back you "elegant series of conclusion"
Posted by: Robert Rafferty | May 10, 2007 2:32 AM
It's time to immediately and ethically ask volunteers to participate in the prolactin trials.
Let the people, who are taking the risk, choose their future. You have no right to withhold this potential.
"Ignorance is terrible, failure to act is unforgivable"
Posted by: Samuel Shepherd | May 13, 2007 10:27 AM