Cells that control speech, walking and breathing have been found in tiny fish, offering hope of new treatments for motor neurone disease.

Edinburgh University experts found zebrafish produce motor neurones when repairing damage to their spinal cords.

Now they are trying to find drugs which can stimulate the regeneration process in zebrafish.

The discovery could help patients with motor neurone disease, where motor neurone cells die and are not replaced.

The disease, which is currently incurable, causes paralysis and severe breathing difficulties and is ultimately fatal.

Brain messages

Dr Catherina Becker, of Edinburgh University’s centre for neuroregeneration, said: “Understanding how zebrafish can regenerate large numbers of motor neurones after damage to the spinal cord and how these motor neurones are produced by natural stem cells could help in finding treatments for motor neurone disease.

“This could take the form of improving methods of generating motor neurones in the laboratory that could be transplanted or finding drugs which could help patients renew their motor neurone supply.”

The tropical zebrafish, which are transparent and around 3 cm long, produce the motor neurones from progenitor cells, found in the spinal cord, that develop into other types of cells.

As well as looking at stimulating the production of motor neurones, scientists are working on ways to ensure that these cells are able to function by sending messages from the brain to the spine and then on to muscles.

The research could also have implications for treating spinal cord injuries following accidents.

from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/manchester/8024427.stm