A study conducted by a team of researchers from the California of University, San Diego claims injury to axons can cause severe neurodegenerative conditions. Further, it added suggestions on how it can be protected to encourage neuron growth. The long, slender projections carry out electrical impulses from a nerve cell to the other, enabling cellular communications.
A paper issued in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS) has found that the injury to the axon often results in several neurodegenerative issues such as glaucoma and Alzheimer.
It has been additionally discovered that such an injury can also lead to neuronal impairment and cell death. Researchers know that hindering an enzyme, known as Dual Leucine zipper Kinase (DLK) appears to powerfully shield neurons in a wide scope of neurodegenerative disease models and axonal reclamation. So far, no effective methods were established in order to modify genes to promote regeneration and enhance long term survival of neurons.
A combined team of researchers from the University of California’s San Diego School of Medicine and Shiley Eye Institute at UC San Diego Health pointed out at another family of enzymes, known as germinal cell kinase four kinases (GCK-IV kinases). The retarding of the same is strongly neuroprotective, also allowing axon regeneration and forming a great therapeutic procedure to treat some neurodegenerative disease.
Associate professor of ophthalmology in the Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology at Shiley Eye Institute, Senior author Derek Welsbie, MD, PhD, confirmed that he and his team together resolved that a set of genes present which, when inhibited, permit optic nerve cells to pull through and regenerate. The researchers created retinal ganglion cells (RGC) from human stem cells, following it up with a series of screens which were conducted. A type of neuron found near the inner region of the eye’s retina is the RGC. They collect visual data from photoreceptors and together aid the transmission of the information to the brain.
A group of well-studied chemicals were part of the first screen involved testing which assessed their capacity to increase the survival of RGCs. The second, on the other hand, was to measure their ability of regeneration promotion.
Welsbie and colleagues based their work on RGCs as they were looking at optic neuropathies, like glaucoma. In addition to eye pressure, glaucoma is a neurodegenerative disease identified by ongoing loss of RGCs and their axons, causing structural, measurable and functional harm to the optic nerve, even visual impairment, and blindness.
As per the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, 3 million Americans are estimated to be diagnosed with glaucoma, which is the second major cause of blindness. Welsbie noted that the work recommends strong therapeutic possibilities but cautioned that whether the findings range to other neuron types is yet to be ascertained.
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