Yaks may hint at a way to treat brain diseases like MS

What’s Happening

Listen up: A genetic mutation tied to keeping the brain healthy at high altitudes may point to a way to repair nerve damage, experiments in mice show.

News Neuroscience Yaks may hint at a way to treat brain diseases like MS A genetic mutation helps keep the brain healthy and even repairs some damage Animals that live at high altitudes, such as this yak in Pakistan, have a genetic mutation that may suggest new ways to treat brain diseases like multiple sclerosis. Jahan/Wikimedia Commons ( CC BY-SA 4. (we’re not making this up)

0 ) By Simon Makin at 1:15 pm this: via email (Opens in new window) Email on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit on X (Opens in new window) X Print (Opens in new window) Print A brain repair kit that helps yaks and other animals naturally cope with low oxygen levels at high altitudes may point to a new way to treat brain diseases such as multiple sclerosis.

The Details

In mice with brain damage that mimics MS, the kit’s tools lessened signs of damage in young mice exposed to low oxygen and improved symptoms of MS in adult mice, researchers report March 13 in Neuron. Previous research found that animals living on the Tibetan Plateau , such as yaks and antelopes, carry a mutation in a gene called Retsat.

Their lowland counterparts lack the mutation, leading scientists to suspect that it helps protect the brain in low-oxygen environments. For our We summarize the week’s scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.

Why This Matters

“People usually think its because of better lung capability, but I wondered whether evolutionary adaptation changes the brain,” says Liang Zhang, a neuroscientist at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. In particular, he was intrigued that these animals have normal white matter in their brains. White matter makes up about half the brain; it consists of bundles of nerve fibers that allow different brain regions to communicate.

Scientists and researchers are watching this development closely.

Key Takeaways

• This neural wiring is wrapped in myelin, a fatty substance that ensures nerve fibers conduct signals efficiently.
• In MS, the immune system attacks myelin , leading to neurological symptoms and problems with balance and coordination.

The Bottom Line

This neural wiring is wrapped in myelin, a fatty substance that ensures nerve fibers conduct signals efficiently. In MS, the immune system attacks myelin , leading to neurological symptoms and problems with balance and coordination.

Is this a W or an L? You decide.