Wanasayansi wamepata njia mpya katika panya ili kupata nafuu kutokana na maumivu ya muda mrefu ya neuropathic
Maumivu ya neuropathic kwa wanadamu ni maumivu ya muda mrefu yanayohusiana na ujasiri uharibifu kama neuropathy. Hii ni vigumu sana kutibu aina ya muda mrefu ya maumivu which is commonly seen in ujasiri trauma, chemotherapy and diabetes. Maumivu hayo ni Kutoa Dozi ya Kinywa ya Insulini kwa Wagonjwa wa Kisukari cha Aina ya 1: Jaribio Limefaulu katika Pigsooting na kali na/au husababisha hisia ya kufa ganzi au kupoteza hisia. Maumivu kwa ujumla yanaweza kuambatana na jeraha, upasuaji, ugonjwa au maambukizo na yanaweza kutokea mara kwa mara au kwa nasibu, kuendelea kubadilisha kiwango na inaweza kuwa bora au mbaya zaidi kwa wagonjwa wengine.
Sababu ya maumivu magumu ya kutibu ya neuropathic
The human nervous system is composed of a complex collection of neva and dedicated cells called neurons which transmit signals from the brain to different parts of the body. Mishipa hutengenezwa kwa mafungu ya nyuzi za neva zinazoitwa akzoni. Neuropathic maumivu in humans is caused due to partially damaged axons of a ujasiri. In animals when a peripheral ujasiri gets crushed, it gets damaged completely and damaged axons then allow for growth of healthy axons inside the ujasiri. This doesn’t happen in humans and that is why the chronic neuropathic pain lingers on. Managing chronic pain is very challenging and requires multitude of efforts to make it seem tolerable while maintaining normal body functions. Only very few patients get relief from this pain with use of a single drug as diagnosis of neuropathic pain is never down to only one cause. Pain relievers, topical treatments and physical therapy are advised but in most of thecases they are unable to break the cycle of chronic maumivu.
Kutafuta matibabu ya maumivu ya neuropathic
Since it is established that the key reason for neuropathic pain in humans is partially damaged axons inside neva, it would be imperative to explore this particular aspect. In a new study published in Kiini, researchers aimed to understand the role of our immune cells in breaking down our damaged (partially or otherwise) neva. They looked at an immune cell called natural killer or NK which can cut axons from neurons in a petri dish in the laboratory. These NK cells are a part of our body’s innate immunity via which our immune system protects us from viruses and cancer.It was seen that disassociated neurons expressed a protein called RAE1 which then invites NK cells to target the neurons.So, once neurons were grown along with activated NK cells, these cells started breaking down the injured/partially damaged nerves by eating away the axons but, without destroying their cell bodies. So here was a potential possibility to grow new healthy axons in place of damaged ones.
Jaribio la sasa lilifanywa katika panya walio hai kwa kuongeza kwanza utendakazi wa seli za NK na kisha kuponda mishipa ya siatiki ya panya ya mguu. Ndani ya muda mfupi tu, panya waliochochewa kinga walionyesha unyeti mdogo katika makucha yao yaliyoathiriwa. Baada ya muda, wanasayansi walirekodi kwamba niuroni zilizoathiriwa zilianza kutengeneza protini ambayo hufanya niuroni kuwa katika hatari ya kushambuliwa na seli za NK. Seli za NK zilijibu mara moja kwa kuja kwa ujasiri na kufuta axoni zilizoharibiwa. Mara tu axoni hizi zilizoharibiwa zilipoondolewa, zenye afya zilianza kukua mahali pao. Na baada ya wiki mbili hivi, panya walipata tena hisia kwenye makucha yao yaliyoathiriwa. Kikundi cha udhibiti cha panya ambao hawakupokea msisimko wowote wa kinga ili kuongeza seli zao za NK pia walipata nafuu katika muda sawa. Lakini jambo muhimu ni kwamba kwa vile mikondo iliyoharibiwa ya panya wa kikundi cha udhibiti haikuondolewa, waliendelea kupata maumivu sugu yaliyosababishwa na mguso kwa karibu mwezi mmoja baada ya kuumia.
Jaribio limefanikiwa katika mfano wa wanyama na watafiti wana hakika kwamba hali kama hiyo inaweza kuzingatiwa kwa wanadamu pia wakati wa tukio la maumivu ya neuropathic. Mishipa ya fahamu iliyoharibika kiasi kwa wanadamu inaendelea kutuma ishara kwa ubongo na kusababisha maumivu ya kudumu na unyeti mkubwa kwa muda mrefu baada ya risasi ya kwanza ya maumivu kuvumiliwa. Mbinu inaweza kubuniwa kwa binadamu ambayo kwa ulinganifu hurekebisha utendakazi wa seli za NK na kuondoa akzoni zote zilizoharibika kwa kiasi au kabisa na baadaye kuruhusu akzoni zenye afya kukua. Hii inaweza kutibu maumivu ya neuropathic kwa ufanisi kama inavyoonekana kutoka kwa utafiti wa sasa juu ya panya. Kuelewa jukumu muhimu la seli za NK katika kuzorota kwa axonal itakuwa muhimu kwa kubuni matibabu ya maumivu sugu ya neuropathic kwa wanadamu.
***
{Unaweza kusoma karatasi asili ya utafiti kwa kubofya kiungo cha DOI kilichotolewa hapa chini katika orodha ya (vyanzo) vilivyotajwa}
Chanzo (s)
Davies AJ na wenzake. 2019. Seli za Kiuaji Asilia Huharibika Vihisi Viungo Vinavyofuatana na Jeraha la Neva. Kiini. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2018.12.022
