Originally published January 9 2006
Researchers discover protein that controls nervous system development
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
In a collaborative research effort, the Hospital for Sick Children, the University of Toronto and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have discovered that a protein designated as P63 plays a major part in the development of the nervous system.
A team of researchers led by The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), the University of Toronto (U of T) and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have discovered a protein that is responsible for shaping the nervous system.
This research was made possible with the support of a $1.5-million NeuroScience Canada Brain Repair ProgramTM team grant that enabled scientists from across Canada to work together and fast track their research.
"We discovered that p63 is the major death-promoting protein for nerve cells during fetal and post-natal development," said Dr. David Kaplan, the paper's senior author, senior scientist at SickKids, professor of Molecular Genetics, Medical Genetics & Microbiology at U of T, Canada Research Chair in Cancer and Neuroscience, and co-team leader on the NeuroScience Canada Brain Repair Program grant with Dr. Freda Miller of SickKids.
"Proteins such as p63 that regulate beneficial cell death processes during development may cause adverse affects later in life by making us more sensitive to injury and disease."
At birth, the nervous system has twice the number of nerve cells than needed.
While p63 is involved in determining which nerve cells die, the research team also suspects that it determines whether nerve cells die when injured or in neurological and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.
Ten million Canadians of all ages will be affected by a disease, disorder or injury of the brain, spinal cord or nervous system.
Based on Health Canada data, the economic burden of these disorders is conservatively estimated at 14 per cent of the total burden of disease, or $22.7 billion annually; however, when disability is included, the economic burden reaches 38 per cent or more, according to the World Health Organization.
Founded in 1988, NeuroScience Canada is Canada's umbrella organization and voice for the neurosciences.
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