CAMBRIDGE, UK — Scientists at the University of Cambridge have found a way to restart the growth of damaged nerve fibers in a laboratory model, challenging the long-held idea that some injuries to the central nervous system are permanently irreversible.
The research focused on axons, the long nerve fibers that carry electrical signals between the brain, spinal cord and muscles.
After serious injury, these fibers often fail to regrow, which is one of the major reasons damage to the brain or spinal cord can become permanent.
A Human “Mini” Nervous System in the Lab
To study the problem, Cambridge researchers created a sophisticated laboratory model using human cells.
The system linked together a brain organoid, a spinal cord organoid and muscle tissue, allowing scientists to observe how nerve signals travel through a simplified version of the human nervous system.
This gave the team a way to study what happens when axons are damaged and why they stop regenerating.
Scientists Identified a Genetic “Brake”
The researchers discovered a network of genes that appears to act like a biological brake on nerve regeneration.
When they interfered with key regulators in that network, damaged axons began to grow again.
That result suggested that the failure of nerves to regenerate may not always be completely irreversible. Instead, some of the mechanisms blocking regrowth may potentially be switched off or altered.
Existing Drug Also Increased Regrowth
The scientists also tested lynestrenol, an existing hormone-based drug.
In the laboratory model, the drug significantly increased the regeneration of damaged axons.
That does not mean lynestrenol is now a treatment for spinal cord injury, but the result gives researchers another possible pathway to investigate.
This Is Not Yet a Cure for Paralysis
The finding is important, but it is still early-stage research.
The scientists did not restore movement in paralyzed patients, and the study does not show that severe spinal cord injuries can currently be reversed in people.
The experiments were performed using laboratory-grown human cells and organoids.
Much more research, including animal studies and eventually clinical trials, would be required before any treatment could be considered for patients.
Why the Discovery Matters
For decades, one of the biggest challenges in neuroscience has been the inability of the central nervous system to repair itself after major injury.
This study suggests that at least some of the biological barriers preventing nerve regeneration may be reversible.
The work could eventually help researchers develop new treatments for spinal cord injuries and other neurological conditions involving damaged nerve connections.
The study was published in Cell Reports, while the University of Cambridge described the findings as evidence that supposedly “irreversible” nerve damage may, under certain conditions, be capable of regeneration.
Sources: University of Cambridge; Cell Reports
By NJ RADAR Team