Hope for Treating Peripheral Neuropathy

[Guest guest]

I thought some of you might be interested in this article about treating

peripheral neuropathy. This article mentions the drug viscristine, which is on

the drug toxicity list of CMT1 (thanks Gretchen) but maybe it can do some good

for axonal forms of CMT. Just a thought.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Dec 20 - A gene mutation found in Wld-s mice prompts

rat dorsal root ganglia preparations to resist axonal degeneration, raising the

possibility that gene therapy might be of use in treating peripheral neuropathy,

researchers report in the December issue of the ls of Neurology.

Dr. D. Glass and colleagues at Emory University School of Medicine in

Atlanta note that the Wld-s mouse, a spontaneously occurring mutant strain,

" demonstrates the remarkable phenotype of prolonged axonal survival following

nerve injury. "

The researchers investigated whether the protein involved, which is expressed in

the brain tissue of the animals, might also protect against toxic neuropathy.

In initial studies of dorsal root ganglia cultures, they found that after

transient exposure to vincristine, neurites from Wld-s mice " not only resisted

axonal degeneration but resumed growth after withdrawal of the toxin. " Most

neurites from wild-type mice died after such exposure, and those that survived

did not recover or show renewed growth.

The team then inserted the Wld-s gene into an adenovirus and used it to infect

rat dorsal root ganglia neurons. These cultures, which then expressed Wld-s

protein, were resistant to axonal degeneration brought on by vincristine

exposure. This, say the investigators, confirmed " the functional significance of

the identified gene mutation. "

Summing up, Dr. Glass told Reuters Health that " axonal degeneration is the major

cause of peripheral neuropathy in millions of people with diabetes, cancer, and

other disorders. Delivery of the Wld-s gene provided resistance to neuropathy,

raising hope that this type of therapeutic intervention in humans may prevent or

treat peripheral neuropathy. "

Ann Neurol 2001;50:773-779.

The important thing is never to stop questioning.

Website www.horder-mason.freeserve.co.uk

Freelance Writer and CMTer

" I Thank God for my handicaps, for through them, I have found myself, my work,

and my God. " - Helen Keller