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Utah scientists have identified a gene found in worms that may lead to new treatments for traumatic brain injury.
Although the research is at too early a stage to have led to an approved treatment, let alone a factor that could feature in a personal injury claim, it does show a promising route of exploration.
The leader of the research team said, "We discovered a molecular target for a future drug that could vastly improve the ability of a neuron to regenerate after injury," referring to personal injury suffered as a result of trauma, such as an accident, or disease.
The research examines four genes in nematode worms which, when overstimulated, regenerate nerves that have been broken in the simple organisms faster than usual. When these genes are blocked, regeneration stops.
However, the scientists also urged caution before this potential treatment raises the hopes of those affected by traumatic brain injury too high, as other hopeful avenues have been let down by the difficulty of exploiting scientific discovery.
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