Medical research

Multiple sclerosis drug works in a surprising way

Drugs called interferon betas are common treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS), reducing relapses and slowing motor function decline. Interferon beta, a protein known to contain a zinc binding pocket, is thought to reduce ...

Neuroscience

In Krabbe disease, neurons may bring about their own destruction

The gene defect underlying Krabbe disease causes degeneration of neurons directly, independent of its effects on other cell types, according to a new study publishing July 5 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Daesung ...

Neuroscience

Tenascin proteins inhibit regeneration of cell envelope

Researchers at Ruhr-Universität Bochum have been studying the role of the two proteins tenascin C and tenascin R in multiple sclerosis. In this disease, cells of the immune system destroy the myelin sheaths, i.e. the sheaths ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Team finds changes in fat composition of our brains' myelin as we age

The "wear and tear" of aging is often noticed first in our bodies, but our brains also experience changes that make it harder to remember where you left your keys or the name of that acquaintance you ran into at the grocery ...

Neuroscience

What does myelin actually do?

Students of physiology are invariably taught that the primary function of myelin is to insulate nerves. In particular, to make action potentials more efficient by increasing the thickness of the membrane and thereby decreasing ...

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