[Animal modeling]-Stem cells from hair follicles have the potential to repair damaged neurons in mice

  Thomas Hornyak, a colleague of VAMaryland Healthcare System and the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and his colleagues report that certain stem cells in hair follicles can regenerate the coating, thereby insulating mouse neurons. In "PLOS Genetics". This research provides a new direction for finding treatment options for specific neurodegenerative diseases. Because of the pigment produced by cells called melanocytes, hair and skin show different shades of red, brown, black, and yellow. Melanin comes from cellular embryos called neural crest cells. Neuroblasts can also produce neurons and their supporting glial cells. Earlier, Hornyak et al. discovered two different stem cell pockets that produce melanocytes in mature hair follicles. Current research shows that the two groups of melanin stem cells can be identified and separated based on whether they are coated with a glycoprotein called CD34, which is a surface molecule that exists in other types of stem cells (including stem cells). ..blood. use

  mouse hair follicles, two melanocyte stem cell populations were isolated and cultured in medium. They were surprised to find that the cells carrying CD34 became glial cells. In the nervous system, glial cells cover the nerve sheath with a fatty insulator called myelin, which increases the speed of nerve impulses. In addition, the researchers found that CD34-positive stem cells can regenerate the myelin sheath of nerve cells. These genetic defects, whether in cell culture or injected into mice with genetic defects, can prevent the formation of myelin.

  New findings indicate that the pockets of CD34-positive melanocyte stem cells in hair follicles retain their early ability. If similar populations exist in human hair follicles, new treatments for demyelinating diseases, such as nerve damage and multiple sclerosis, may be developed. Dr. Thomas Hognack said: "In the future, we plan to continue research in this area by determining whether these cells can enhance the functional recovery of neuronal damage." Use research"

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