Merlin protein may promote PNS repair
Researchers from the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry (Plymouth, UK) have identified a cell protein that appears to promote repair in nerves of the PNS after injury. These findings could lead to therapies in patients who have suffered peripheral nerve damage as a result of trauma or diabetes. The protein, which is termed Merlin, has previously been reported to play major roles in the control of cell proliferation and tumor suppression. In this study, published recently in the Journal of Cell Biology, the researchers have discovered a novel role for this protein in Schwann cell plasticity. Utilizing a mouse...