Researchers have uncovered a new role for resident brain immune cells in supporting the health of neurons. The study, led by Prof Veronique Miron (UK DRI at Edinburgh), and published in the journal Nature, could pave the way for new treatment opportunities in neurodegeneration.
Healthy myelin is important for nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord to function optimally. Changes in the structure of myelin, and ensuing damage to myelin, are considered to contribute to the early stages of dementia. However, the mechanisms underlying these changes are poorly understood.
Prof Veronique Miron explained:
"We lack therapies that can effectively slow or stop the progression of dementia. We do know, however, that healthy myelin is needed for healthy cognition, and that changes in myelin are associated with the early stages of cognitive impairment. Better understanding of what keeps myelin healthy, and how myelin is damaged, will bring us one step closer to developing an effective therapy to stop dementia in its tracks at an early stage."
In this study, Prof Miron’s team, led by PhD student Niamh McNamara, found that immune cells in the brain called microglia are key players in keeping myelin healthy.
