Scientists have discovered a new chemical that could help heal nerve damage, according to research published Wednesday in the journal Nature, which offers early hope for one day reversing the paralysis and lost functioning that can stem from nerve injuries.
Roger Williams, a senior author of the study from the MRC LMB, said the chemical works by activating one of the “molecular machines” that control how our cells function and are the targets of many different drugs.
In particular, 1938 works by activating an enzyme, phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), which governs cell growth, is involved in various processes like wound healing and can even be hijacked by cancer cells to help them to grow.
The growth of nerve cells increased significantly when 1938 was added to lab-grown nerve cells, the researchers said, and tests in rats with nerve injuries showed increased recovery and the restoration of some motor function, suggesting a degree of nerve regeneration.
Early research on animals also showed the compound protected against heart damage following traumatic events like a heart attack, which usually result in areas of dead tissue forming that can cause problems later in life even after blood flow is restored.
James Phillips, a professor at UCL’s School of Pharmacy and a senior author of the study, said there is a huge potential for drugs that can “activate PI3K to accelerate nerve regeneration” as there are “currently no approved medicines to regenerate nerves, which can be damaged as a result of injury or disease.”
Although there are cancer drugs that block the PI3K pathway to hinder tumor growth, the researchers said the clinical potential of the mechanism has not been explored to its fullest potential.
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