Regenerative neurology: Siddharthan Chandran, The University of Edinburgh

Disorders of the ageing brain are a major public health threat. Our brains are the most complex organ we have – the last area of human discovery – which explains why in over 40 years we’ve failed to find cures for neurological diseases like Parkinson’s, MS and Motor Neurone Disease. Now disruptive technologies, including artificial stem cell creation, are offering opportunities to accelerate the discovery of new medicines and we are on the cusp of a revolution for regenerative neurology.

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Creating the Future from Weatherbys Private Bank is an annual event created following our Creating the Future conference. Our twelve speakers are tackling some of the world’s most challenging and exciting issues: the future of democracy, how recent advances in neuroscience and technology are set to revolutionise medicine and healthcare and the ever more urgent need to prevent climate change to protect the environment.

[royalfrog]

There are organisms which can regenerate almost any type of damage. Zebrafish can regenerate a pin sized hole in the brain naturally. Knewts have been shown to recover from full arm amputation.

The major question though is how do they do this. Surprisingly mammals, including humans have the ability to regenerate. Organs like the skin and liver prove as such. For the longest time though, it was believed the nervous system not so much. However research in mouse retina had shown that by preventing scar tissue formation following damage, retinal stem cells (Muller glia) were able differentiate and proliferate very similar to our zebrafish counterparts.

While not in the brain, these retinal studies do point at the possibility that brain regeneration is possible. How this correlates to memory retention, that is still a black box.

[royalfrog]

Is it possible to replace dead neurons that died through neuronal cell death or exicotoxicity.Zebrafish and knewts both naturally regenerate neurons in the brain. The biggest question in the regeneration field is how do they do this (Gene's involved, time line of events, etc.)

It is known that ascl1a, stat pathway, wnt pathway, and notch are major players in the regeneration process. A lot of research in the retina by Wyde has pulled out a rather complex gene map. Even with this though there is still a lot that isnt understood as what are the key transcription factors which make the specific type of neurons.

As for the question asked above, there is high hopes in finding compounds or cocktails of drug compounds which could begin the neurogenesis process. If scientists could prevent the faster scar formation process from occurring and somehow promote dedifferentiation of potential stem cells, it's possible regeneration would just naturally occur in the brain. (Again this is mostly coming from the retinal regeneration studies)

[pleasesubscribefornoreason]

The sad part is i am 23 and i have multiple system atrophy since 21.