This breakthrough is a mindblower
Published: November 2, 2005
New treatment for devastating brain disorders may result from a major breakthrough in the understanding of brain chemistry by New Zealand scientists.
A protein – found in the body’s reproductive organs – has been discovered in the brains of mice by astonished researchers in Otago University’s Neuromuscular Research Group.
It is believed the protein may play a role in preventing the death of nerve cells, so it could one day benefit people suffering from debilitating brain disorders.
Associate Professor Ian McLennan, who leads the group in collaboration with Kyoko Koishi, said the find was “completely surprising”.
“It opens up a whole new area, or multiple areas, of research which can be followed up, so we’re very excited about this.”
It was already known that the protein, Mullerian inhibiting substance (MIS), was active in the maturation of eggs in female ovaries and in the production of sperm in male testes.
It was also a key protein in male embryos, responsible for the development of male-specific features.
McLennan’s team has shown MIS was active in the brains of male embryos, where it prevented the death of motor neurons – nerves that make skeletal muscles work.
It was not active in female embryos.
This result could cause a rethink of understandings on the different structure of male and female brains, said McLennan.
It also implied that its role in adult brains, both male and female, could be to keep motor neurons healthy.
“There is a complex system in the body for keeping nerve cells alive, and we think that it’s part of this mechanism,” he said.
If so, there was potential for it to be used as a drug to treat degenerative brain disorders.
However, McLennan said it was too early to speculate which conditions could benefit.
“There are all types of things which cause nerve cells to die and we are not really sure which condition will be most amenable to the use of (MIS),” he said.
Otago University company Otago Innovation Ltd had filed patents relating to MIS and was looking for industry partners to pursue research.
Commercialisation manager Hamish Findlay said it was “exciting technology, with potential to bring huge clinical benefits”.
The research was supported by the Marsden Fund.
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