| Abstract |
The nerve fibres of the brain and spinal cord (the CNS) are surround by an insulting material called myelin that protects the fibres and allows them to carry electrical impulses very rapidly. Myelin is made by a cell called an oligodendrocyte. This cell is the primary target in several neurological diseases most notably multiple sclerosis (MS). Early in the disease the brains own stem cells are able to replace the lost oligodendrocytes and hence myelin can be restored (a regenerative process called remyelination). However, as the disease progresses and the patient ages remyelination becomes less efficient and the fibres are left without their myelin: in this state they are very vulnerable to irreversible degeneration themselves. Therapies that enhance remyelination would clearly have a major impact on the treatment of MS - however, none currently exist. In this short project UK and Chinese laboratories will collaborate to test the ability of a naturally-derived plant compound called diosgenin, which is already in clinical use, to enhance remyelination in ageing laboratory rodents and will initiate studies to understand the mechanisms of action of diosgenin in remyelination. It is intended that this application, if successful, will provide a platform for further more extensive Anglo-Chinese collaborative studies aimed at the development of remyelination-enhancing regenerative medicines for MS. |
