Very interesting reading but somehow depressing. I can't help thinking that
we are hardly scratching the surface...

Nic 57/15

On Tue, Jun 2, 2009 at 7:38 PM, mschild <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Nerve cells regenerate brain
>
> Wednesday, 03 June 2009
> Garvan Institute
>
>
> New findings throw light on how the brain heals itself and may change the
> way
> we think about treating chronic neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's
> and Alzheimer's.
> Neuroscientists at Sydney's Garvan Institute of Medical Research have shown
> that nerve cells in the brain produce an anti-inflammatory molecule that
> allows the brain to repair itself.
> These findings, by Drs Bryce Vissel and Andrea Abdipranoto, are published
> online today in the international journal Stem Cells.
> Discovery of the brain's capacity to regenerate is very recent. Neural stem
> cells were first discovered in the brain in the early 1990s, but it took
> scientists a further 10 years to show that they can regenerate nerve cells
> in
> the brain.
>
> "Given that we now know regeneration can occur, we want to understand what
> drives it and what blocks it, particularly in diseases like Parkinson's and
> Alzheimer's." said Dr Vissel.
> "We triggered rapid neurodegeneration in the brains of mice, and it was
> immediately followed by a very rapid regenerative response. We wanted to
> know
> why this response could occur so effectively after acute neurodegeneration.
> "On further investigation, we found high levels of a molecule known as
> Activin
> A whenever regeneration occurred. This was especially interesting because
> Activin A is released from nerve cells.
> "Clearly Activin A was playing an important part in the regenerative
> process,
> so we triggered neurodegeneration and at the same time blocked Activin A.
> The
> difference was dramatic. Regeneration all but ground to a halt."
> "After these initial experiments, we thought that nerve cells may directly
> drive regeneration by releasing Activin A. We came to realise, however,
> that
> the main action of Activin A was to block inflammation in the brain after
> neurodegeneration or injury."
> "We confirmed this by introducing another anti-inflammatory molecule, while
> continuing to block Activin A. As anticipated, the substituted anti-
> inflammatory allowed regeneration to occur."
> "Inflammation is the body's way of trying to clear up a mess. We've shown
> that, if uncontrolled, it seems to be the very thing that can prevent
> regeneration and prevent healing of the brain."
> Having done this study in a model of acute degeneration, the group is now
> doing the same work in chronic degenerative models.
> It is likely that inflammation aggravates existing damage in the central
> nervous system of people with Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and motor neuron
> disease. Vissel and colleagues believe that chronic inflammation is
> probably
> providing a harmful feedback loop, preventing regeneration and contributing
> to
> progressive decline.
> "Clearly the brain's anti-inflammatory response is not working well in
> chronic
> neurodegenerative diseases," said Vissel.
> "There are a number of studies showing that people who take non-steroidal
> anti-inflammatory drugs have a lower risk of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's
> disease."
> Should the group confirm that inflammation is blocking regeneration in
> Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and motor neuron disease, Activin A and
> derivatives
> need to be investigated as potential therapeutics.
>
>
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