Scientists have discovered that a special type of cell is much more prolific in generating a protective sheath covering nerve fibers than previously believed.
Scientists have discovered that a special type of cell is much more prolific in generating a protective sheath covering nerve fibers than previously believed.
The revelation about Schwann cells raises the possibility of new avenues to treat nerve injuries and various forms of neuropathy. Further research could prove useful in promoting myelin repair in central nervous system disorders such as multiple sclerosis, where damage to myelin slows or blocks electric signals from the brain.
“This totally overturns the textbook definition of the way Schwann cells work,” said senior author Kelly Monk, Ph.D., professor and co-director of the Vollum Institute at OHSU in Portland, Oregon.
The research is published today in the journal Nature Communications.
Two types of cells in the body produce myelin: oligodendrocytes in the brain and spinal cord and Schwann cells in the rest of the body. Until now, scientists thought that only oligodendrocytes generated multiple myelin sheaths around axons, the slender projection of a nerve cell that carries electrical signals between cells.
Read more at Oregon Health & Science University
