A recent study conducted by neuroscience researchers out of Ohio State University has found a new way to use the body’s own cells to fight disease, specifically neurological disease.
The study “Cytokine polarize, alternatively activated bone marrow neutrophils drive axon regeneration,” published in
Nature Immunology
, examined the effects that a specific white blood cell, known as a neutrophil, had on the
The onset and progression of various diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), are driven by dying nerve cells and damaged nerve fibres. When the continued injury to these areas of the brain progresses, it can lead to irreversible neurological disabilities.
“Dying nerve cells are typically not replaced, and damaged nerve fibres do not normally regrow, leading to permanent neurological disabilities,” said corresponding and senior author Benjamin Segal, MD, professor and chair of the department of neurology at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and College of Medicine in a press release.
However, if something were to encourage the regrowth of nerve fibres, it’s thought that the discovery could slow down the progression of MS and other diseases like it. The researchers believe they’ve found that “something.”