{"id":551430,"date":"2026-03-29T01:07:08","date_gmt":"2026-03-29T01:07:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/551430\/"},"modified":"2026-03-29T01:07:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-29T01:07:08","slug":"yaks-may-hold-the-key-to-treating-multiple-sclerosis-sufferers-study-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/551430\/","title":{"rendered":"Yaks may hold the key to treating multiple sclerosis sufferers, study says"},"content":{"rendered":"

Scientists hunting for treatments and cures for multiple sclerosis may have found an unlikely ally \u2014 the yak.<\/p>\n

The high-altitude, cold-hardy relative of the cow could be the key to a medical breakthrough, according to a March13 study published in the journal Neuron<\/a>.<\/p>\n

At the center of it all is the myelin sheath \u2014 a fatty, protective coating around nerve fibers that helps signals travel between the brain and body. <\/p>\n

Yaks that inhabit the Tibetan Plateau \u2014 often called the \u201cRoof of the World\u201d because of its high altitude \u2014 have genetically adapted to life in a low-oxygen environment, which would damage myelin in humans. zinaidasopina112 \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n

In MS, the immune system attacks that coating, disrupting communication and triggering neurological symptoms including problems with balance and coordination.<\/p>\n

Previous research found that animals living on Tibet\u2019s high plateau<\/a> \u2014 including yaks and antelopes, which roam at average elevations above 14,800 feet \u2014 carry a special genetic mutation called Restat that protects their brains from low-oxygen conditions. Crucially, it does so without damaging the myelin sheath.<\/p>\n

Now scientists believe that same gene could help humans repair damaged nerves by regrowing the protective coating, and potentially opening a new door for MS treatment.<\/p>\n

The disease typically strikes adults between the ages of 20 and 40. About 1 million Americans are currently living with it, according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.<\/p>\n

To find out if the genetic mutation Restat could play a role in protecting nerve health in humans, Liang Zhang, a neuroscientist at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and his team tested mice engineered with the genetic mutation while living in low-oxygen conditions.<\/p>\n

Myelin sheath is a protective covering for nerve cells. MS damages the myelin and causes a plethora of problems for patients, including balance and coordination issues. ralwel \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n

And the results were promising.<\/p>\n

The mice engineered to carry the mutant gene not only performed better in memory and behavior tests \u2014 they also had healthier, thicker myelin, according to Zhang\u2019s study.<\/p>\n

Even better, when their nerves were damaged, these mice repaired their myelin faster and more completely.<\/p>\n

Individuals with MS often suffer from problems that worsen over time, leaving them handicapped. Johnstocker \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n

The gene works by boosting production of a vitamin A-related molecule called ATDR \u2014 all-trans-13,14-dihydroretinol \u2014 which helps create and mature the cells that make myelin.<\/p>\n

When the researchers gave ATDR to mice with an MS-like conditions, their symptoms improved and movement got better, the study found.<\/p>\n

Current MS treatments mostly try to calm the immune system and slow disease progression. But this yak-inspired approach works to repair the damage to near normal levels, according to Zhang and his team.<\/p>\n

If the new treatment method proves safe, it could help treat other conditions involving nerve damage, like cerebral palsy and even stroke, Zhang said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can discover a lot of secrets from evolutionary adaptations that we can use for medical conditions,\u201d said Zhang, reported ScienceNews<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is still so much to learn from naturally occurring genetic adaptations.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Scientists hunting for treatments and cures for multiple sclerosis may have found an unlikely ally \u2014 the yak.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":551431,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[1147,1491,50232,8006,97,3283,1494,5004,3284,169002],"class_list":["post-551430","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-animals","tag-brains","tag-cerebral-palsy","tag-diseases","tag-health","tag-medical-breakthroughs","tag-medical-disorders","tag-multiple-sclerosis","tag-study-says","tag-tibet"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/551430","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=551430"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/551430\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/551431"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=551430"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=551430"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=551430"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}