Fresh hopes that neural stem cell grafts could help treat MS following University of Cambridge research
A Cambridge-led study has demonstrated a method of restoring myelin in the central nervous system, offering fresh hope for treating disorders such as progressive multiple sclerosis, writes editor Paul Brackley.
The study, in mice, showed for the first time that induced neural stem cells grafts can mature into oligodendrocytes, the cells that produce myelin.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system attacks the central nervous system, leading to the destruction of myelin, which acts as a protective sheath around nerve fibres.
In the early stages of the disease, some cells are capable of partially repairing the damage by generating new myelin but this regenerative ability is significantly reduced in the later, chronic progressive stage of the disease.
The decline in repair leads to further damage to neurons and increasing disability in individuals with progressive MS.
Current therapies typically focus on managing the symptoms, but do not halt or reverse the damage and neurodegeneration.
The new study, published in the journal Brain and spearheaded by University of Cambridge scientist Dr Luca Peruzzotti-Jametti, suggests that neural stem cell-based therapies hold promise for treating chronic demyelinating disorders, particularly progressive MS.
The researchers, who are still investigating the limits of a neural stem cell transplant’s capacity to repair, used mice with MS-like lesions. The work found evidence of the safety of human-induced neural stem cell transplantation.
Dr Peruzzotti-Jametti, from the Department of Clinical Neurosciences and the study’s first author, said: “This research provides critical evidence that induced neural stem cell grafts can effectively turn into myelin-producing cells within the damaged central nervous system, suggesting a potential new way to treat progressive MS.”
The researchers are probing the underlying mechanisms of MS in the central nervous system, exploring how neural stem-cell based treatments can influence neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory processes.
The aim is to discover whether such therapies can mitigate brain atrophy and slow the progression of MS.
”Our findings represent a significant step forward in understanding how stem cell therapies can be harnessed to combat chronic demyelinating disorders,” said Stefano Pluchino, Clinical Professor of Regenerative Neuroimmunology at the Department of Clinical Neurosciences, and the study’s senior author. “We are particularly excited about the potential to develop central nervous system directed therapies that not only manage symptoms but also address the underlying neurodegenerative processes in progressive MS.
“We’ve shown we can make new myelin with stem cells, and demonstrated it is possible to target lesions with grafts. This is a major step forward in the research towards directed therapies for chronic demyelinating disorders such as progressive multiple sclerosis.”
Dr Catherine Godbold, senior research communications manager at MS Society, says: “More than 150,000 people live with MS in the UK and it can be debilitating, exhausting and unpredictable. Neural stem cell therapy for MS is still in the very early stages of research, but these results with mice are invaluable.
“They help us understand how neural stem cells might one day be able to unlock desperately needed myelin-repair treatments. We’re proud to have supported this study and hope it can bring us another step closer to stopping progression for everyone with MS.”
The findings will help researchers in the RESTORE consortium to explore a clinical trial involving a neural stem cell graft. The consortium includes a number of University of Cambridge scientists, including Prof Pluchino and Dr Peruzzotti-Jametti.