Neurological conditions such as Huntington’s and Alzheimer’s disease as well as spinal cord injuries can be nigh impossible to treat. In most cases, all doctors and caregivers can do is reduce the severity of the symptoms and find ways to improve a patient’s quality of life.
Consequently, scientists are always looking for more effective treatments for the millions of people in the world who live with neurological disorders. Researchers studying the brain and how it responds to disease and injury have now mapped a brain cell regulation mechanism that could allow them to develop novel treatments for brain disorders and spinal cord injuries.
Scientists from Cedars-Sinai were able to map molecular activity in the spinal cord and brain that is associated with regulating how the body responds to central nervous system (CNS) disorders. They looked at minute cellular changes in specialized support cells called astrocytes in the spinal cord and brain.
Reactivity, as the cellular changes in astrocytes are called, is crucial in regulating how central nervous disorders affect the body. But despite the integral role astrocyte reactivity plays in nervous system disorders and injuries, we know precious little about this process.
The researchers sought to understand more about what causes astrocyte reactivity, how it plays out in different disorders and injuries, and how the body regulates these differences.
Study lead and coauthor Joshua Burda, who serves as an assistant professor in the Department of Neurology and the Department of Biomedical Sciences, stated that there had been increased scientific interest in leveraging astrocyte reactivity as a treatment strategy for central nervous system disorders such as Alzheimer’s.
He explained that understanding how different astrocyte responses coordinate and how manipulating these cellular responses affects the body could give researchers a better understanding of the mechanisms behind CNS disorders. Furthermore, he added that this understanding would provide researchers with the critical insight they need to develop better treatment strategies for brain and spinal cord disorders and injuries.
To get a better idea of astrocyte reactivity, Burda and his team developed a tool that would help them identify specialized molecules that determine how various genes express themselves in the presence of a variety of neurological injuries and diseases. They then used genetic analyses to prove that astrocyte reactivity plays a major role in the progression and outcome of CNS disorders and injuries. Burda stated that he and his team will now use the data they gathered to help in the development of novel treatments for neurological injuries and diseases.
The researchers published their findings in the “Nature” journal.
Many more entities, such as Silo Pharma Inc. (OTCQB: SILO), are conducting R&D aimed at developing novel interventions that will improve the treatment outcomes for patients with different neurological ailments. A time may come when most patients can have their symptoms halted or even reversed.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Silo Pharma Inc. (OTCQB: SILO) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/SILO
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