Researchers at The Ohio State University led by Dr. Benjamin Segal, professor and chair of the department of neurology at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and College of Medicine, have made a groundbreaking discovery that could transform treatment for neurological injuries and diseases. The team identified a special type of human white blood cell capable of regrowing nerve fibers – a process previously thought impossible in conditions where damaged nerve cells typically don’t regenerate. This significant advancement, published in Nature Immunology, builds on the team’s previous breakthrough research in mice from four years ago.
The research demonstrates how bone marrow cells can be transformed into powerful healing agents through laboratory stimulation with specific molecules. These “pro-regenerative cells” were successfully generated from eight different human donors, with cells from all donors effectively driving human nerve cells to regenerate nerve fibers. Most impressively, these specialized cells tripled the survival rate of stressed nerve cells, suggesting potential applications for both slowing degenerative neurological conditions like ALS, Alzheimer’s, and multiple sclerosis, as well as reversing damage from injuries to the brain, optic nerve, and spinal cord.
Dr. Segal’s team, including co-first authors Dr. Andrew Jerome and Dr. Andrew Sas (assistant professor of neurology at Ohio State), is now focusing on bringing these treatments to patients. Their approach would involve extracting cells from a patient, stimulating and growing them to large numbers in the lab, and then reinfusing them at the site of injury or disease. “Our ultimate goal is to develop treatments using these special cells, to reverse damage in the optic nerve, brain, and spinal cord, thereby restoring lost neurological functions,” explained Dr. Segal, who also directs Ohio State’s Neuroscience Research Institute. With the success of their laboratory experiments, the team is working on developing efficient methods for growing and delivering these cells to begin clinical trials, bringing hope to millions affected by these previously untreatable conditions.
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