The human body is filled with antibodies that fight invaders, cells that regenerate, and structures whose job is to ensure that the body runs smoothly. For instance, the structure myelin, is a material that surrounds the axons of our nerve cells, therefore, making them send signals. However, in demyelinatin diseases, myelin and oligodendrocytes that makes it, become damaged. As a result, in Caltech researches have found a way to help the brain replace injured oligodendrocytes and myelin. They have created a gene therapy used to produce new oligodendrocytes, which play an important role in an adult’s nervous system, from stem and progenitor cells. Benjamin Deverman, a postdoctoral in biology at Caltech described it as “…Using the brain’s own progenitor cells as a way to boost repair.” This therapy uses leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) because it enables remyelination by stimulating oligodendrocyte progenitor cells to proliferate and make new oligodendrocytes. These researches conducted an experiment-using mouse and they said that when they gave LIF therapy, it not only triggered the proliferation of the progenitor cells, but allows them to differentiate into mature oligodendrocytes. Using LIF has some benefits; for instance, one avoids potential side effects that may appear when the therapy is introduced in the bloodstream. Moreover, it is also helpful for spinal-cord injury patients. Researches have not yet held a human clinical trial, but they plan to have a virus that will carry the genetic material, LIF, into the cells; however, they cannot control the virus, which makes it a little dangerous. As a result, Patterson and Deverman are attempting to develop viruses that can target LIF in specific cell types and turn it on and off externally, providing a means to regulate LIF levels.
This article is an example of hypothesis-based science because researchers conducted a clinical trial on mouse and observed how this gene therapy worked. In addition, they have come up with explanations to certain effects and causes of this gene therapy using LIF that have appeared on mice. This will greatly help human life because it will help human beings to allow the brain to replace damaged cells that play an extremely important role in the nervous system of adults.
California Institute of Technology. “Gene therapy boosts brain repair for demyelinatin diseases." ScienceDaily, 9 Feb. 2012. Web. 9 Feb. Page 1. 2012.http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209140208.htm
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