Remyelination Through Stem Cell Treatment

Demyelinating diseases are the result of damage to the myelin sheath surrounding the nerves of the central and peripheral nervous systems. These diseases lead to impairment of the transmission of signals between nerves. The body’s defense against this adverse condition is an ongoing process called remyelination. When that process is weakened, certain debilitating conditions arise that produce pain, weakness, poor coordination and sometimes mental confusion.

Conditions

• Multiple sclerosis is the most common of these demyelinating disorders, but there are at least nine others, such as Guillain-Barré syndrome and optic neuritis. Long-term prognosis for some of these diseases is not encouraging, for there are no cures for most of them. However, recent research suggests that in the near future neural stem cell treatments could be helpful.

Importance of Remyelination

• Insulating sheaths of myelin surround nerve fiber bundles called axons. Healthy axons enable electrical impulses to travel from neuron to neuron without being short-circuited. Demyelination occurs when those sheaths become damaged or worn out. Then the nerve messages might get blocked or garbled. Fortunately, a healthy central nervous system rebuilds that myelin sheathing almost as soon as damage occurs. This is called remyelination.

Enhancing Remyelination

• Medical researchers are growing more confident about stem cell research.

  Medical science is seeking ways to help the body remyelinate weakened axon sheaths. Stem cell therapy is one of those ways. Recent experimentation demonstrated that stem cells injected into the blood stream first of all could stop further demyelination by reducing inflammation. Evidence suggests that remyelination could occur when there is an abundance of stem cells in the central nervous system.

Recent Confirming Research

• The Feb. 24, 2010 ,issue of Journal of Neuroscience covers the research of the University of Texas Health Science Center using modified adult stem cells to see their effect on the injured spinal cords of rats. Tests after seven weeks showed that stem cells began forming myelin sheaths around the nerve fibers. Their tests also showed that this regrowth restored electrical impulses through remyelination. Dr. Qilin Cao, the lead investigator, concluded, "First it confirms … that stem cell grafting in attempts to remyelinate an injured spinal cord is a viable therapeutic strategy."

Success Rate

• The above research showed that about 75 percent of the rats had at least partial restoration of their myelin sheaths. Also, their ability to move had increased.

Timeline

• Along with other organizations, the Myelin Repair Foundation is concentrating on research in remyelination through stem cell therapy. Researchers believe that they will find therapies to speed up this process while slowing down the damaging effects of demyelination and diseases like multiple sclerosis and Guillain-Barré syndrome.

  Though hesitant to offer a timeline, researchers have expressed hope. A report in the Journal of Neurological Sciences suggested that a combination of therapies might lead to better results.