Sleep ‘boosts brain cell numbers’

Scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UoW) have discovered another reason why sleep is great! Resting boosts the growth of special cells — called oligodendrocytes — that repair the brain when it is injured, according to new findings reported in the Journal of Neuroscience.

“For a long time, sleep researchers focused on how the activity of nerve cells differs when animals are awake versus when they are asleep,” said lead author Dr. Chiara Cirelli, a sleep neuroscientist at UoW. “Now it is clear that the way other supporting cells in the nervous system operate also changes significantly depending on whether the animal is asleep or awake.”

Oligodendrocytes are one brand of support cells found in the brain. They produce a substance called myelin, which coats the ‘wiring’ that connects different neurons together and accelerates the rate at which they can send messages back and forth to each other. If normal neuron chatter is like “e-mail,” then cognition without myelin is like using smoke signals.

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/health-23932577

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Gene therapy reverses Rett Syndrome in Animal Model

Gene therapy in mice shows great success in treating Rett syndrome, a physically disabling form of autism that affects girls. “The treated mice showed profound improvements in motor function, tremors, seizures and compulsive movements”

The concept behind gene therapy is simple: deliver a healthy gene to compensate for one that is mutated. New research published today in the Journal of Neuroscience suggests this approach may eventually be a feasible option to treat Rett Syndrome, the most disabling of the autism spectrum disorders. Gail Mandel, Ph.D., a Howard Hughes Investigator at Oregon Health and Sciences University, led the study. The Rett Syndrome Research Trust, with generous support from the Rett Syndrome Research Trust UK and Rett Syndrome Research & Treatment Foundation, funded this work through the MECP2 Consortium.

Today’s study is the first to show reversal of symptoms in fully symptomatic mice using techniques of gene therapy that have potential for clinical application.

Rett Syndrome is an X-linked neurological disorder primarily affecting girls; in the US, about 1 in 10,000 children a year are born with Rett. In most cases symptoms begin to manifest between 6 and 18 months of age, as developmental milestones are missed or lost. The regression that follows is characterized by loss of speech, mobility, and functional hand use, which is often replaced by Rett’s signature gesture: hand-wringing, sometimes so intense that it is a constant during every waking hour. Other symptoms include seizures, tremors, orthopedic and digestive problems, disordered breathing and other autonomic impairments, sensory issues and anxiety. Most children live into adulthood and require round-the-clock care.

http://www.autismspeaks.org/science/science-news/gene-therapy-reverses-rett-syndrome-animal-model

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