New study emphasizes the likelihood of reversing ageing process in the central nervous system of MS (multiple sclerosis) patients. The ability of human body to regenerate decreases as you gets older. This condition is not only applicable for the skin but also for other tissues in the body.
MS affects about one hundred thousand people in UK, four hundred thousand people in the US and several million people worldwide. Symptoms of the condition may include the loss of physical skills, sensation, vision, bladder control and intellectual abilities. In MS, the insulating layer known as myelin sheaths that works to protect nerve fibres in the brain become damaged.
The loss myelin sheath in the brain prevents nerve fibres to send signal properly, which will ultimately escort to loss of nerve fibres itself. But in early stage of the disease, a regenerative process, also called as remyelination, takes place and the myelin sheaths are refurbished.
Regrettably, when people with multiple sclerosis age, regenerative process or remyelination takes place significantly, resulting in permanent loss of more nerve fibres. But, a recent study in mice reveals that the age-related decline in the regeneration of myelin sheath or remyekination is reversible. The study findings were published the journal Cell Stem Cell.
The study finding exhibits that when old mice are exposed to the inflammatory cells of the young mice, then the ageing remyelination process can be reversed. According to lead researcher Prof Robin Franklin from the University of Cambridge, the study carried out in conjunction with Dr Amy Wagers and team from Harvard University, showed that the age-related decline in remyelination is reversible.
They found that remyelination in old mice can be made to work efficiently similar to young mice. For people with MS, this means that in theory the regenerative therapies will work all through the duration of the disease. Particularly, it means that remyelination therapies do not need to be based on stem cell transplantation, added Prof Franklin.