University of Michigan
412 Maynard St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1399
October 27, 1997
Contact:
Sally Pobojewski
Phone: (313) 647-1844
E-mail: [email protected]
University of Michigan scientists use insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) to grow new membranes around neurons.
EDITORS: Wire service accounts of the research described in this release have given the impression to many readers that Dr. Feldman's work has led to new treatments for multiple sclerosis. Although the ultimate aim of these studies on IGF-I at the University of Michigan and other institutions is to develop treatments for diseases such as multiple sclerosis, no such treatments are yet available.
Color slides of nerve cells studied in this experiment are available on request.
NEW ORLEANS---University of Michigan scientists have used an insulin-like growth factor called IGF-I to stimulate growth of a myelin membrane sheath, similar to a sausage casing, around neurons in a culture dish.
"This is the first evidence to indicate that IGF-I can promote growth of new peripheral nervous system myelin sheaths," according to Eva L. Feldman, associate professor of neurology at the U-M Medical School.
If U-M scientists are able to use IGF-I to regenerate myelin in animals, it will be extremely significant; because without myelin, neurons cannot transmit signals from the brain to peripheral nerves or from nerves back to the brain.
Feldman and U-M research fellow Hsin-Lin Cheng presented the first results from their experiments with IGF-I at the Society for Neuroscience meeting here today (Oct. 27). James W. Russell, lecturer in neurology at the U-M Medical School, is a co-investigator on the project.
Because they stimulate growth of nerves, bone and muscle tissue, growth factors have been the subject of intensive research for the past decade. Scientists believe understanding how growth factors affect neural development could lead to new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases like diabetic neuropathy, multiple sclerosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The devastating symptoms of these diseases are caused by the death or degeneration of peripheral nerves. Although several growth factors are currently under study, IGF-I appears to be most effective at inducing myelination and preventing neural cell death, according to Cheng.
Named for its structural similarity to insulin and its ability to simulate insulin's glucose-lowering properties, IGF-I is produced in the liver and is present in blood serum. During embryological development, IGF-I is found in high concentrations near tiny "bud cells" called Schwann cells which grow long fibers and wrap around neurons to form myelin sheaths. The U-M experiments were designed to determine whether IGF-I triggers this transformation in Schwann cells.
First, U-M scientists removed dorsal root ganglion neurons from newborn rats. The neurons were chemically treated to strip away the myelin sheath and any naturally occurring Schwann cells. The dissected nerves were maintained in a nutrient-rich culture medium. After undifferentiated Schwann cells from rat embryos were added to the cultures, half were bathed in a solution containing high levels of IGF-I.
"After six hours, Schwann cells in the IGF-I solution started extending long feelers toward the rat neurons," Feldman said. "After 12 hours, most feelers were attached and had started wrapping around the fibers. After 48 hours, 50 percent of the neurons in the IGF-I-supplemented cultures had a myelin sheath and looked just like freshly dissected dorsal rat ganglia. No myelination occurred in control cultures which did not receive IGF-I."
"The results suggest IGF-I promotes myelination by triggering a series of biochemical changes which help Schwann cells move and attach to nerve fibers," Russell said.
U-M scientists are currently testing IGF-I's ability to stimulate myelination and regenerate nerves in adult rats with neural damage, according to Feldman. "One major problem is targeting delivery of the growth factor to the injured area in the animal," she said. "If we can find a delivery mechanism to get the right concentration of IGF-I to the site of injury, we may be able to regenerate nerves or prevent them from dying."
Research funding for the U-M study was provided by the National Institutes of Health, the American Diabetes Association and the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation.
# # # # # #
RSS