New Study Shows Potential for Cell Therapy to Repair Myelin in Mice
May 27, 2020
Researchers at the University of Rochester report in
Cell Reports that transplanting human brain cells into mice that have damage to nerve-insulating myelin can promote extensive repair and restore movement. The team transplanted immature cells that can develop into myelin-making and other key brain cells directly into the mice’s brains and then examined them up to 20 weeks afterward. They found extensive evidence of repair. The findings add evidence that, with further study, this strategy may help to restore function in progressive forms of MS, where the natural capacity for repairing myelin has stalled over time.
The Rochester team, led by Steve Goldman, MD, PhD, has launched a start-up company to translate these findings into clinical trials for disorders including MS, and the US Food and Drug Administration is currently reviewing data to determine if human trials can proceed.
Read more on the university website