Research conducted by a UW-Madison neurology professor and his team indicates there could be a way to slow or reverse multiple sclerosis disease.
The team’s research, led by professor Ian Duncan, which has been ongoing for nearly eight years, aims to repair the central nervous system in people with myelin disorders, particularly targeting MS.
According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, MS is a disease that disables the central nervous system and disrupts the flow of information within the brain and between the brain and body.
The team devised strategies for myelin repair by using archived material from the 1970s. They found that animals experienced a severe loss of myelin, a material composed of lipids and lipoproteins, which had fully developed oligodendrocytes, cells that produce myelin, in places that were coating affected axons, parts of a nerve cell, with myelin.
When the myelin sheath is damaged, nerves are not able to conduct electrical impulses normally, which impacts the central nervous system. Oligodendrocytes are able to provide support and insulation to axons in the CNS.
Duncan said although the team cannot cure MS, their research is a big step forward and could have an impact on those suffering from the disease.
“Our research could improve the quality of life for those that have symptoms of MS, like coordination and vision,” Duncan said.
