Addressing motor neuron injury
A research team from Hungary have shown that the administration of ultra-high purity Fucus vesiculosus fucoidan, produced by Marinova, improved the morphology and function of damaged motor neurons.
The study involved mice with spinal cord damage (L4) receiving various doses of stem cell and fucoidan treatments. The survival and regeneration of the affected motor neurons were subsequently analysed.
Researchers found that the systemic stem cell and fucoidan treatment reduced neuroinflammation in the affected spinal segment and induced significant motor neuron survival. Furthermore, the administration of fucoidan was shown to downregulate inflammatory cytokine and inflammasome levels, and improve morphological and functional reinnervation.
The results will be of interest to global research groups focused on the repair and regeneration of motor neurons following spinal cord injuries in order to recover lost function. The full paper, ‘Systemic stem cell treatment rescues injured motor neurons by reducing L-selectin expression on leukocytes’ was published in the journal Stem Cell Research & Therapy.