Today's post from the ever-informative, sciencedaily.com (see link below) delves deep into the cellular behaviour of nerve cells but comes out with a potential benefit for us all in the future. If you feel this is all beyond you on a lazy Sunday morning, don't be put off; read on, because science daily nearly always delivers text that we can all follow. In this case it concerns the energy drivers of nerve cells and they are mitochondria. If the mitochondria are damaged or inhibited in some way then neuropathy is most often the result because if the neurons are deprived of the energy they generate then they just give up the ghost and start short-circuiting in the ways we feel every day. Basically, scientists have found that if the mitochondria are damaged, they can regenerate themselves if the protein that is blocking them, is disabled and that's apparently possible...in the ever-suffering mice in the test labs. Too molecular for you? Well yes but we must take heart that scientists are learning so much more every year and this is leading to improved treatments...however long it takes.
Researchers at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke have discovered that boosting the transport of mitochondria along neuronal axons enhances the ability of mouse nerve cells to repair themselves after injury. The study, "Facilitation of axon regeneration by enhancing mitochondrial transport and rescuing energy deficits," which has been published in The Journal of Cell Biology, suggests potential new strategies to stimulate the regrowth of human neurons damaged by injury or disease.
Neurons need large amounts of energy to extend their axons long distances through the body. This energy -- in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) -- is provided by mitochondria, the cell's internal power plants. During development, mitochondria are transported up and down growing axons to generate ATP wherever it is needed. In adults, however, mitochondria become less mobile as mature neurons produce a protein called syntaphilin that anchors the mitochondria in place. Zu-Hang Sheng and colleagues at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke wondered whether this decrease in mitochondrial transport might explain why adult neurons are typically unable to regrow after injury.
Sheng and his research fellow Bing Zhou, the first author of the study, initially found that when mature mouse axons are severed, nearby mitochondria are damaged and become unable to provide sufficient ATP to support injured nerve regeneration. However, when the researchers genetically removed syntaphilin from the nerve cells, mitochondrial transport was enhanced, allowing the damaged mitochondria to be replaced by healthy mitochondria capable of producing ATP. Syntaphilin-deficient mature neurons therefore regained the ability to regrow after injury, just like young neurons, and removing syntaphilin from adult mice facilitated the regeneration of their sciatic nerves after injury.
"Our in vivo and in vitro studies suggest that activating an intrinsic growth program requires the coordinated modulation of mitochondrial transport and recovery of energy deficits. Such combined approaches may represent a valid therapeutic strategy to facilitate regeneration in the central and peripheral nervous systems after injury or disease," Sheng says.
Story Source:
The above post is reprinted from materials provided by Rockefeller University Press. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
Journal Reference:
Bing Zhou, Panpan Yu, Mei-Yao Lin, Tao Sun, Yanmin Chen, Zu-Hang Sheng. Facilitation of axon regeneration by enhancing mitochondrial transport and rescuing energy deficits. The Journal of Cell Biology, 2016; jcb.201605101 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.20160510 https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/06/160607151233.htm
Today's post from huffingtonpost.com (see link below) looks at recurrences (flare-ups) in chronic pain and how to respond to and rebound from them. Unfortunately, neuropathy is a disease that can give you some time off and then come back with a vengeance and often with very little warning. Your body and mind are fooled into thinking that life's looking up and the brain forgets the pain (thankfully) and then a flare-up floors you again and destroys all your optimism in one fell swoop. This article looks at strategies for dealing with this. Maybe it'll help you, maybe it won't but it tries to give practical advice.
Posted: 06/01/2015
I've found that the first step in pulling yourself up after a flare knocks you face-down on the pavement is to realize that you must have a plan.
This epiphany should happen while you are still on the ground. Maybe you haven't been discharged from the hospital yet. Maybe you're home but are still in the throws of whatever pain or infection that started all this. Maybe you're thinking why should I even bother to make a plan when I can't even get out of bed?
When your life feels directionless and you're in the midst of a post-illness sadness, you have to turn your attention not to what you have missed out on or let fall through the cracks -- but to what steps you're going to take, not to get back to where you were, but to an even better place.
Recently I found myself in a two month long in-and-out of the hospital, on heavy doses of painkillers, kind of flare. And everything became unglued. I couldn't work. I couldn't plan for my wedding or my fiancé's graduation party. I couldn't keep up with my friends or care for my house, my appearance or relationships. And when the heavy waves that kept knocking me off my feet finally receded, I was left with the crumbled, disorganized pieces of my life with no clue how I was going to put it all back together and move forward.
You're never going to walk out of a major flare, snap your fingers and watch your life magically put itself back together. It doesn't happen overnight. It will take work and time. But you'll get there.
Making a plan saved me from the gut-punch of anxiety that hit me every time I looked at my overloaded inbox or piles upon piles of laundry.
To start, I made a list of the sections of my life that needed help:
My strength: Two months of what was practically bed rest left me in a feeble state. I wasn't going to lift weights the next day, but I could slowly start taking supplements, get massages and adjustments to wake up my muscles, and begin walking around the neighborhood each day to increase my endurance. One small step at a time.
My relationship: This flare was difficult for me, but it was just (if not more) difficult for the people I love. And with a chronic disease, this kind of pressure can weigh down on your relationships. What I needed was to make plans -- going out to dinner, the movies, and maybe even look into going on a vacation in the near future. Most importantly: we needed to laugh and to put a priority on having fun.
My work: I had scaled back on my hours considerably while dealing with this flare. But the moment I stepped out of the hospital I went to my calendar and scheduled out my work week. Slowly, over two weeks, I built back up my hours -- and even when I had moments of panic about getting it all done, I felt reassured to know that I had every intention of being back to my regular schedule by the end of the month.
My organization: As soon as I'm able to make it to the grocery store, my first errand is to refill my hospital kit with things like toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo or cleaning wipes. I plan a day to do all the laundry. I call to reschedule all the appointments that I missed and return all the voicemails that I've barely had a moment to listen to. Slashing these simple errands off my list is an easy way to feel like I'm having a direct hand in the improvement of my life.
My goals: New Years is a great time for resolutions, but going through a particularly awful illness and coming out on the other end of it is an even better time! Having short and long term goals can be both motivating and stabilizing.
Once you've made your big list of must-dos, its time to break it down into smaller segments. Maybe on Monday you'll focus on work and laundry, and on Wednesday you'll plan a date night for you and your partner, Friday might be a good time to reschedule those missed appointments for the next week.
If your intention is to push the big red RESET button on your life, reconnect with who you used to be before you got sick, meet the expectations of your friends, family, doctors and yourself -- you have to try.
And making a plan is what trying looks like.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ilana-jacqueline/chronic-illness-how-to-repair-your-life-after-a-flare-up_b_7477562.html
