WEDNESDAY, June 28, 2006 (HealthDay News) -- Proteins that stimulate the growth of cancer cells may also help re-grow nerve cells, offering hope against diseases such as Alzheimer's or injuries such as paralyzing spinal cord damage, researchers say.
The proteins, called Id proteins, are prevalent in several kinds of cancer, such as brain cancer and breast cancer cells, as well as pediatric tumors. They have been previously associated with the advancement of tumor growth and metastasizing cancer.
But researchers at Columbia University in New York City found surprising results when studying the proteins to determine how to prevent cancers from progressing.
"Our finding suggests that the same process this protein uses for proliferating cancer could also potentially be used to re-grow axons that are damaged in spinal cord injuries or neurological diseases," study author Dr. Antonio Iavarone, associate professor of neurology and pathology at the university medical center's Institute for Cancer Genetics, said in a prepared statement. Axons are the long branch-like extensions that nerve cells use to make connections.
Results of the study were published Wednesday in the journal Nature.
Once the researchers recognized the value in Id's regenerative properties, they began applying them toward neurons and axons in the brains of patients with neurological diseases.
They knew, however, that an enzyme called APC can destroy the Id protein in healthy cells. So, the researchers developed a "super Id" protein that was resistant to APC. This allowed axonal regeneration to proceed. The "super Id" even encouraged the re-growth of axons in the presence of myelin, a substance that usually inhibits axonal regeneration.
Iavarone's team suggested that this development will be helpful in restoring function in patients who have sustained axonal damage and would benefit from regeneration, such as those with Alzheimer's or spinal cord damage, without any added risk of cancer.
Iavarone added that there is no chance that such a therapy would cause cancer in the brain or spinal cord. "Neurons have completely lost the ability to create new cells, so there's no danger of creating a tumor. The only growth they're capable of is regeneration of their axons," he said.
More information
Head to the National Institutes of Health to read more about neurological diseases.
