*MS Article* Article Suggesting Breakthrough Is Nearer

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Hi. This was posted elsewhere and I only know what is listed below. Adam:

> Posting of the following article has been approved by Newswise

> (http://www.newswise.com)

>

> Source: University of Southern California

> Released: Wed 01-Nov-2006, 17:00 ET

> Embargo expired: Thu 02-Nov-2006, 14:00 ET

>

> Researchers Closer to Cure for Multiple Sclerosis and Other Myelin-

> related Diseases

>

> Description

> A breakthrough finding on the mechanism of myelin formation by

Jonah

> Chan, assistant professor of cell and neurobiology at the Keck

School

> of Medicine of the University of Southern California, could have a

> major impact on the treatment of diseases such as multiple

sclerosis

> and demyelination as a result of spinal cord injuries.

>

> Newswise - A breakthrough finding on the mechanism of myelin

> formation by Jonah Chan, assistant professor of cell and

neurobiology

> at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern

> California, could have a major impact on the treatment of diseases

> such as multiple sclerosis and demyelination as a result of spinal

> cord injuries.

>

> Myelin, the white matter that coats all nerves, allows long-

distance

> communication in the nervous system. " It plays a vital role in the

> overall health and function of the nervous system, and its

> degeneration plays a role in a number of diseases, such as multiple

> sclerosis, peripheral neuropathies, and even in spinal cord

injury, "

> Chan explained.

>

> The study, " The Polarity Protein Par-3 Directly Interacts with

p75NTR

> to Regulate Myelination " , appears in the Nov. 3 issue of Science.

> Chan, who works at the Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute at the Keck

> School of Medicine of USC, collaborated on the study with Michel

> Cayouette and researchers at the Institut de Recherches Cliniques

de

> Montreal in Canada.

>

> At a basic level, the nervous system functions like a collection of

> wires that transmit electrical signals encoding our thoughts,

> feelings, and actions. Just as an electrical wire needs insulation,

> myelin is wrapped around axons - the wire-like extensions of

neurons

> that make up nerve fibers. The sheath helps to propagate the

> electrical signal and maximize the efficiency and velocity of these

> signals in our brain and body.

>

> Diseases and injuries that compromise the integrity of myelin, such

> as multiple sclerosis or peripheral neuropathies, have dramatic

> consequences like paralysis, uncoordinated movements, and

neuropathic

> pain.

>

> Chan's study sheds light on the mechanisms that control how myelin

is

> formed during development of the nerves. The article constitutes an

> important step forward in understanding the process of myelination

> and opens the way to new research in this field.

>

> Chan showed that a protein, Par-3, is at the base of the

myelination

> process. This protein becomes localized to one side of the myelin-

> forming cells, known as Schwann cells, upon contact with the axon

> that is to be myelinated. Par-3 acts almost as a molecular scaffold

> to set-up an " organizing centre " , which brings together key

proteins

> essential for myelination, in particular a receptor for a molecule

> secreted by the neurons.

>

> The researchers found that when they disrupted this organizing

> centre, cells could not form myelin normally. Importantly, their

> discovery demonstrates that Schwann cells need to become polarized

so

> that they know which side is in contact with the axon to initiate

> wrapping and to bring essential molecules to this critical

interface.

>

> These studies open the way to new research, said Chan, which should

> help to identify other components that are recruited at the

> organizing center set-up by Par-3. In multiple sclerosis, or after

> injury, Schwann cells can re-myelinate axons of the central nervous

> system to some degree. Therefore, these experiments bring about the

> possibility that manipulating the Par-3 pathway might allow for

more

> efficient re-myelination of damaged or diseased nerves.

>

> This work was supported by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society

> Career Transition Award and the E. and Delia B. Baxter

> Foundation Award to Jonah Chan, and the Canadian Institute of

Health

> Research to Michel Cayouette.

>

> Chan, J. R., Jolicoeur, C., Yamauchi, J, Elliott, J, Fawcett, J.

P.,

> Ng, B. K., and Cayouette, M. , " The Polarity Protein Par-3 Directly

> Interacts with p75NTR to Regulate Myelination, " Science, Nov. 3,

2006.

>

> C 2006 Newswise. All Rights Reserved.