Nerves under control
Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - 17:50
in Physics & Chemistry
The proper transmission of nerve signals along body nerves requires an insulation layer, named myelin sheath. To be efficient this sheath is designed to have a certain thickness and Swiss researchers from the ETH Zurich have now discovered that proteins Dlg1 and PTEN interact to control the myelin sheath thickness. Recently published in Science their discovery improves our understanding of Charcot-Marie-Tooth neurodegenerative diseases and open a new avenue in the potential treatment of these incurable and debilitating diseases.