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【medical-news】多发性硬化症患者的希望
DAMIEN HENDERSON
November 03 2006
SCIENTISTS have discovered a key protein responsible for protecting nerve fibres which could pave ways to new treatments for multiple sclerosis.
The protein, Par-3, is vital in the formation of myelin, a fatty white coating that sheaths nerve fibres, insulating them and aiding the passage of electrical signals.
Multiple sclerosis occurs when the body launches an immune system attack against itself, destroying the myelin sheath and leading to immobility among sufferers.
Dr Jona Chan, from the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, said his team had identified the protein that underpins the formation of myelin.
He said: "It plays a vital role in the overall health and function of the nervous system, and its degeneration plays a role in a number of diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, peripheral neuropathies and even in spinal cord injury."
Par-3 sits at one end of myelin-forming cells, called Schwann cells, making contact with the nerve fibre to be insulated. There it acts as an "organising centre", bringing together key proteins essential for myelination.
When this centre was disrupted, Schwann cells could not form myelin properly, the researchers reported in the journal Science. Manipulating the Par-3 pathway could help the re-myelination of damaged nerves, said Dr Chan.
The discovery was welcomed by MS charities, who said it may form the basis of future research into a cure for the disease.
Mark Hazelwood, director of the MS Society Scotland, said: "It can only be another step along the road to understanding what happens with MS. We would welcome this and hope that it is something researchers pick up on."
David Harrison, spokesman for the MS Society, added: "This is something that really adds to our knowledge of the disease. One has to be careful not to get too overexcited but it is clearly an important piece of research. What one now has to hope is that will help to inform research into potential treatments."
Earlier this year, scientists found that statins, a cholesterol-lowering drug used to prevent heart disease, may also be effective in providing therapy for multiple sclerosis.
Laboratory tests on mice found that one popular statin, Lipitor, when given in combination with the MS drug Copaxone, worked synergistically to prevent or reduce paralysis in the animals.
However, claims of a "miracle cure" were discredited in September after a 20-year-old who said she had walked for the first time in five years after receiving the treatment in Holland said it was a scam.
Amanda Bryson, 20, received the therapy last year and saw a rush of MS sufferers pay for the same treatment. But her condition has since deteriorated so much she is confined to a wheelchair.
http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/73550.html 本人已认领该文编译，48小时后若未提交译文，请其他战友自由认领。 多发性硬化症患者的希望
SCIENTISTS have discovered a key protein responsible for protecting nerve fibres which could pave ways to new treatments for multiple sclerosis.
科学家已经发现一种保护神经纤维的重要蛋白，这为多发硬化的新型治疗开辟了道路。
The protein, Par-3, is vital in the formation of myelin, a fatty white coating that sheaths nerve fibres, insulating them and aiding the passage of electrical signals.
蛋白Par-3对髓磷脂的形成起到重要的作用。髓磷脂是一种包被神经纤维的脂肪白膜，使其绝缘并帮助传送电信号。
Multiple sclerosis occurs when the body launches an immune system attack against itself, destroying the myelin sheath and leading to immobility among sufferers.
多发硬化产生于机体的免疫系统的自我攻击，它损害髓鞘并使患者无法活动。
Dr Jona Chan, from the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, said his team had identified the protein that underpins the formation of myelin.
洛杉矶南加州大学Keck医学院的Dr Jona Chan说，自己的研究小组已经证实这种蛋白能够支持髓磷脂的形成。
He said: "It plays a vital role in the overall health and function of the nervous system, and its degeneration plays a role in a number of diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, peripheral neuropathies and even in spinal cord injury."
他说：“它在神经系统的总体健康及功能方面的作用十分重要，其变性在很多疾病中起作用，如多发硬化，周围神经病变甚至脊髓损伤。”
Par-3 sits at one end of myelin-forming cells, called Schwann cells, making contact with the nerve fibre to be insulated. There it acts as an "organising centre", bringing together key proteins essential for myelination.
Par-3位于一种叫做“雪旺细胞”的髓磷脂的目的细胞，并保证神经纤维绝缘性。这里它作为“组织中心”将髓鞘形成的必要蛋白聚集起来。
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作者:admin@医学,生命科学 2010-10-09 05:11
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