Inactivation of Protein Retinoblastoma Promotes Nerve Cell Growth

A recent study conducted by University of Calgary's Hotchkiss Brain Institute (HBI) shows that it may be possible to regulate nerve cell growth in damaged tissues found in the nervous system.

"We made the surprising discovery that a protein called Retinoblastoma (Rb) is present in adult neurons," said Dr. Doug Zochodne, a professor in the Department of Clinical Neurosciences at the university, via a press release. "This protein appears to normally act as a brake - preventing nerve growth. What we have shown is that by inactivating Rb, we can release the brake and coax nerves to grow much faster."

The researchers looked for Rb in nerve cells in order to better determine their role of cell regulation throughout the body.

"We know that cancer is characterized by excessive cell growth and we also know that Rb is often functioning abnormally in cancer," said Zochodne, via the release. "So if cancer is able to release this brake and increase cell growth, we thought we'd try to mimic this same action in nerve cells and encourage growth where we want it."

Researchers worked to shut down Rb for a short amount of time. Fortunately, they did not see any negative results. In the future, they hope to use their work as a safe treatment for patients suffering from nerve damage.

Zochodne and colleagues specifically investigated this technique in the peripheral nervous system. Without the peripheral nerves, which connect the brain and spinal cord, the body would have no movement, nor sensation. Those suffering from peripheral nerve injuries--an estimated 11 thousand Americans every year--may have extreme difficulty with coordination, pain, numbness and tingling throughout the body.

Finding effective treatments for this injury can be difficult and exhausting. However, thanks to the Regeneration Unit in Neurobiology (RUN), which was created through a partnership between the HIBTI, the University of Calgary and the Canada-Alberta Western Economic Partnership Agreement, Zochodne and his team have been able to take part in the cell investigation.

"The RUN facility has been critical for this research," Zochodne said, via the release. "It provides the resources and cutting-edge equipment that we need all in one facility. RUN has allowed us to take this idea from nerve cells, to animal models and eventually will help us investigate whether it could be a feasible treatment in humans. It's an incredible asset".

More information regarding the findings can be seen via the journal Nature Communications.