Scientists hunting for treatments and cures for multiple sclerosis may have found an unlikely ally — the yak.
The high-altitude, cold-hardy relative of the cow could be the key to a medical breakthrough, according to a March13 study published in the journal Neuron.
At the center of it all is the myelin sheath — a fatty, protective coating around nerve fibers that helps signals travel between the brain and body.
In MS, the immune system attacks that coating, disrupting communication and triggering neurological symptoms including problems with balance and coordination.
Previous research found that animals living on Tibet’s high plateau — including yaks and antelopes, which roam at average elevations above 14,800 feet — carry a special genetic mutation called Restat that protects their brains from low-oxygen conditions. Crucially, it does so without damaging the myelin sheath.
Now scientists believe that same gene could help humans repair damaged nerves by regrowing the protective coating, and potentially opening a new door for MS treatment.
The disease typically strikes adults between the ages of 20 and 40. About 1 million Americans are currently living with it, according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
To find out if the genetic mutation Restat could play a role in protecting nerve health in humans, Liang Zhang, a neuroscientist at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and his team tested mice engineered with the genetic mutation while living in low-oxygen conditions.
And the results were promising.
The mice engineered to carry the mutant gene not only performed better in memory and behavior tests — they also had healthier, thicker myelin, according to Zhang’s study.
Even better, when their nerves were damaged, these mice repaired their myelin faster and more completely.
The gene works by boosting production of a vitamin A-related molecule called ATDR — all-trans-13,14-dihydroretinol — which helps create and mature the cells that make myelin.
When the researchers gave ATDR to mice with an MS-like conditions, their symptoms improved and movement got better, the study found.
Current MS treatments mostly try to calm the immune system and slow disease progression. But this yak-inspired approach works to repair the damage to near normal levels, according to Zhang and his team.
If the new treatment method proves safe, it could help treat other conditions involving nerve damage, like cerebral palsy and even stroke, Zhang said.
“We can discover a lot of secrets from evolutionary adaptations that we can use for medical conditions,” said Zhang, reported ScienceNews.
“There is still so much to learn from naturally occurring genetic adaptations.”
