( According to the researchers at the Sal...)Growth Factors Help Neurons to Reach Their Correct Destination,Health

According to the researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies during embryonic development it was found that nerve cells uncertainly produce// tentacle-like protrusions. These are called axons which finally help the nerves reach their destination. They guide the nerve cells through a series of attractive and repulsive chemical. While several recent studies discovered molecules that repel motor neuron axons from incorrect targets in the limb, scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have identified a molecule, known as FGF that actively lures growing axons closer to the right destination.

Their findings appear in the June 15 issue of Neuron. ‘The most important aspect of our finding is not necessarily that we finally nailed the growth factor FGF as the molecule that guides a specific subgroup of motor neurons to connect to the muscles that line our spine and neck,’ says senior author Samuel Pfaff, Ph.D., a professor in the Gene Expression Laboratory, ‘but that piece by piece, we are uncovering general principles that ensure that the developing nervous system establishes proper neuronal connections.’

Understanding how axons find their destinations may help restore movement in people following spinal cord injury, or those with motor neuron diseases such as Lou Gehrig's disease, spinal muscle atrophy, and post-polio syndrome. Failure to establish proper connectivity in the brain may also underlie autism spectrum disorders and mental retardation. The multitasking members of the FGF growth factor family regulate blood vessel formation, wound repair, lung maturation, and development of skeletal muscle, blood and bone marrow cells. The Salk study adds on more job to an already long list. ‘Our study emphasizes that the nervous system does not necessarily rely on an entirely new set of molecules to govern axon navigation, but instead uses growth factors already involved in embryonic development in clever and novel ways,’ Pfaff
'"/>




Page: 1 2 3
Related medicine news :

1. Anti-Cancer Drug Restores Normal Cell Growth
2. Low-dose Growth Hormone (GH) with diet and exercise may help weight loss
3. Human Growth Hormone Found To be Dangerous For Human Use
4. Stem Cells Found To Offer Promise For Hair Growth
5. Fish Found To Improve Fetal Growth
6. Growth Patterns In Childhood Could Predict Breast Cancer Later In Life
7. Stopping The Growth Of Viruses
8. Stopping The Growth Of Viruses
9. Turmeric Found To Slow Down Melanoma Growth
10. Protein acts as "Master Switch" that cuts off cells Cancer-Growth machinery
11. Record Growth Of Soya-Based Dairy Alternatives Over The Past Year In European Markets