Ohio State study reveals role of white blood cells in regeneration of nerve fibers

In a new study, neuroscience researchers at Ohio State University have discovered a specific type of human white blood cell that has the ability to regenerate nerve fibers.

The findings of the study have been published in the journal. Nature ImmunologyThis is a significant leap in medical science.

“Dying nerve cells are usually not replaced, and damaged nerve fibers do not regrow normally, leading to permanent neurological disability,” said senior author Benjamin Segal, professor and chair of the department of neurology at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and College of Medicine.

Segal's team found that bone marrow cells could be transformed into powerful healing agents. By stimulating these cells with specific molecules in the laboratory, the team was able to turn them into regenerative cells that can help damaged nerve cells survive and regrow.

“Our ultimate goal is to develop therapies using these specialized cells to repair damage to the optic nerve, brain and spinal cord, potentially restoring lost neurological function,” said Segal, who is also director of Ohio State's Neuroscience Research Institute.

Nerve damage from injuries to the spinal cord, optic nerve or brain, and degenerative neurological diseases such as ALS, Alzheimer's and multiple sclerosis have long been thought to be permanent. However, four years ago, Segal's team made a breakthrough in mice, bringing hope to millions of people affected by these conditions.

“Our new study demonstrates that patients' own cells can be used to provide safe and effective treatments for these devastating conditions,” said co-first author Andrew Jerome, PhD, a member of Segal's research team.

In their recent study, the team created regenerative cells from the bone marrow of eight different human donors. Remarkably, the cells from all eight donors successfully induced human nerve cells to regenerate nerve fibers. These cells also increased the survival rate of stressed nerve cells by up to threefold. This suggests they could help slow or stop the progression of degenerative neurological conditions, as well as reverse injury and restore function.

With the success of these laboratory experiments, our focus is now on bringing these new cell therapy treatments to patients who need them. We believe these cells can be extracted from a patient, grown in large numbers by stimulating them in the laboratory and reinfused to the site of injury or disease to regenerate nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord.”

Andrew Sass, MD, PhD, co-first author, assistant professor of neurology at Ohio State

Segal's team is continually working to advance these advancements. The next step is to develop the most efficient ways to grow and deliver these cells so that clinical trials can begin. Treatments that bring improvements to patients that once seemed impossible are now on the horizon, Segal said.