A new brain-spinal cord model shows promise in mimicking movement connections, potentially reversing damaged functions deemed previously irreversible.
New lab-grown brain-spinal cord models, developed by scientists at the University of Cambridge, appear to provide an insight into the development of neurons and their transmission of information between the brain and spinal cord through axons.
Axons, the nerve fibre responsible for transmitting information to other neurons around the body, see their relevance through being responsible for muscle movement by providing communication from neuron to neuron. The mini brain model, developed from human stem cells and transformed into roughly pea-sized organisms representing the human cerebral cortex, demonstrates the mechanisms behind motor neuron disease, paving the way for potential treatments.
The use of human cells is a notable progression from other mammal-based models – primarily rodents.
“Our sophisticated organoid models help bridge the knowledge gap from animal models to what we see in patients”, said project lead András Lakatos, summarising the benefits of human cells due to their differences from rodent neurons. These successes are further complemented by the reduction of the use of animals in research, providing a welfare angle to the discovery.
Significant implications
Significant discoveries have been made through these models, notably in terms of axon regrowth after damage, which has significant implications in repairing brain-spinal cord damage, as this function is blocked in the body after the first 150 days of growth.
Inhibiting the gene network responsible for limiting axon regrowth, therefore, shows clear promise in solving previously irreversible conditions such as paralysis.
The model has led to a greater understanding of why the block occurs and how it can be reversed through the use of candidate drugs, notably lynestrenol – traditionally used as a hormone-based contraceptive which shows promise in boosting axon regrowth.
Though the use of lynestreol may not be a silver bullet, it demonstrates the ability for human neurons to be directly targeted to regenerate, offering hope for the roughly 15 million people worldwide living with spinal cord injuries.
New research in this field is a promising step towards treating previously irreversible injuries and conditions, ushering in what Spinal Research chief executive Louisa McGinn called “a new era of hope and possibility”.
