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Myelin is the fatty substance that covers and protects nerves.

New research lays out potential path for treatment of Huntington’s disease

New research gives scientists a clearer picture of what is happening in the brains of people with Huntington's disease and lays out a potential path for treatment.

14 Dec 2018

Study provides new way to treat multiple sclerosis

Nerve cells stripped of their insulation can no longer carry vital information, leading to the numbness, weakness and vision problems often associated with multiple sclerosis. A new study shows an overlooked source may be able to replace that lost insulation and provide a new way to treat diseases like MS.

27 Nov 2018

Research explores how exercise may help fight drug addiction

The siren call of addictive drugs can be hard to resist, and returning to the environment where drugs were previously taken can make resistance that much harder.

14 Nov 2018

Study provides new clues to origin and development of multiple sclerosis

Mapping of a certain group of cells, known as oligodendrocytes, in the central nervous system of a mouse model of multiple sclerosis, shows that they might have a significant role in the development of the disease.

12 Nov 2018

How a single mutation can devastate cellular function

A scientist has shown how a single mutation in a protein found in astrocytes reproduces fibrous globs that devastate cellular function.

23 Oct 2018

Environmental conditions may drive development of multiple sclerosis

A new Tel Aviv University study finds that certain environmental conditions may precipitate structural changes that take place in myelin sheaths in the onset of multiple sclerosis. Myelin sheaths are the "insulating tape" surrounding axons; axons carry electrical impulses in neurons.

16 Oct 2018

Gut microbiota could play greater role in pathogenesis of MS than previously thought

In multiple sclerosis, a defective response of the body’s own immune system leads to brain tissue damage. Gastrointestinal microbiota could play a far greater role in the pathogenesis of the disease than previously assumed, researchers at the University of Zurich have now found.

11 Oct 2018

New, more efficient method for generating brain stem cells in the lab

In two newly published papers, a scientific team at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine reports on the discovery and implementation of a new, more efficient method for generating an important brain stem cell in the laboratory.

1 Oct 2018

Neuroscientists study how neural function improves during adolescence

One of the outstanding questions in neurodevelopment research has been identifying how connections in the brain change to improve neural function during childhood and adolescence.

27 Sep 2018

MS Society: Link between smoking and multiple sclerosis is 'clearer than ever'

The link between smoking and multiple sclerosis (MS) is “clearer than ever”, the MS Society has announced. Not only are people who smoke more likely to develop MS, smoking can also speed up how fast people with MS become disabled.

24 Sep 2018

Salk research in yeast leads to serendipitous finding about hypomyelinating leukodystrophy

Studying the fundamental aspects of biology can sometimes lead to unexpected findings that directly relate to human disease. In one of the latest examples of scientific serendipity, researchers from the Salk Institute found that an important quality control mechanism in baker's yeast is closely connected to hypomyelinating leukodystrophy, a debilitating disease found in children.

17 Sep 2018

Mimicking Human Brain Development Using Organoids

Dr. Paul Tesar from the Tesar Laboratory at Case Western University, Ohio, discusses the importance of organoids in biological research and the development of organoids which are capable of simulating the early stages of human myelin.

7 Sep 2018

Researchers discover key aspect in pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis

A team of researchers the University of Zurich and the University Hospital Zurich has shown that in multiple sclerosis, it is not only specific T cells that cause inflammation and lesions in the brain.

4 Sep 2018

Stanford researchers show how to prevent immune response to gene therapy in mouse model

Stanford University School of Medicine researchers have demonstrated that gene therapy can be effective without causing a dangerous side effect common to all gene therapy: an autoimmune reaction to the normal protein, which the patient's immune system is encountering for the first time.

4 Sep 2018

Researchers discover new subtype of multiple sclerosis

Cleveland Clinic researchers have discovered a new subtype of multiple sclerosis, providing a better understanding of the individualized nature of the disease.

22 Aug 2018

Researchers report new way to map the inner workings of a living cell

Imaging tools like X-rays and MRI have revolutionized medicine by giving doctors a close up view of the brain and other vital organs in living, breathing people. Now, Columbia University researchers report a new way to zoom in at the tiniest scales to track changes within individual cells.

6 Aug 2018