Researchers boost regeneration of spinal nerve cells

DALLAS, Oct. 13 (UPI) — Researchers have amplified regeneration in spinal nerve cells in a move they say will help improve treatment for patients with spinal cord injuries.

The research was conducted by scientists from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center using a mouse model. The findings were published in the journal Cell Reports. According to the authors, boosting regeneration in adult nerve cells is critical for developing new therapies for spinal cord injuries.

“This research lays the groundwork for regenerative medicine for spinal cord injuries. We have uncovered critical molecular and cellular checkpoints in a pathway involved in the regeneration process that may be manipulated to boost nerve cell regeneration after a spinal injury,” senior author Dr. Chun-Li Zhang said in a press release.

The study focused on glial cells, the most common non-neural cells in the central nervous system. In the first step of the experiment, researchers silenced parts of the p53-p21 protein pathway, which blocks the reprogramming of glial cells into stem-like types of cells with the potential to develop into nerve cells. Many cells failed to move past the stem cell-like phase.

In the second step, researchers examined mice for transcription factors that could support a higher likelihood of stem-like cells maturing into neurons. BDNF and Noggin were identified as influential growth factors. Zhang says that while the results were promising, the research is still in its early phases.

“Our ability to successfully produce a large population of long-lived and diverse subtypes of new neurons in the adult spinal cord provides a cellular basis for regeneration-based therapy for spinal cord injuries,” Zhang added. “If borne out by future studies, this strategy would pave the way for using a patient’s own glial cells, thereby avoiding transplants and the need for immunosuppressive therapy.”

Spinal cord injuries can severely impair motor and sensory functions, and are more likely to occur as individuals age. Mature spinal cords have a comparatively limited ability to regenerate damaged neurons.