Gene-edited cells could halt multiple sclerosis progression

Our bodies have the ability to repair myelin, but in multiple sclerosis (MS), and as we age, this becomes less effective. There are currently no treatments to boost this process.

Scientists have used gene-editing techniques to boost the repair of nerve cells damaged in multiple sclerosis, a study shows. The innovative method, which was tested in mice, supports the development of cells that can repair the protective myelin coating around nerves, restoring their ability to conduct messages to the brain.

The findings, now published in Nature Communications, offer a potential route for future treatments to stop disability progression, experts say.

The research team looked at human oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) which are found in the brain and normally transform into oligodendrocytes, which produce myelin. But anti-repair signals found in MS lesions – areas of inflammation and damage – stop this from happening.

Researchers from the University of Edinburgh used a technique called CRISPR to edit a small section of the DNA of human, lab-grown OPCs to make them ignore anti-repair signals. When the gene-edited OPCs were transplanted into mouse brains, the team found they improved the repair of myelin around nerves.

Image source: Wagstaff et al. (2024), Nature Communications.