Study Uncovers How Exercise Fuels Neuron Growth and Nerve Healing

Study Uncovers How Exercise Fuels Neuron Growth and Nerve Healing

Key Points

  • MIT research shows muscle contraction releases myokines, enhancing neuron growth and nerve healing.
  • Both chemical signals and physical forces from exercise stimulate neuron growth.
  • Exercise-induced neurons showed enhanced gene expression for growth and communication.
  • Research could lead to treatments that use muscle stimulation to aid nerve repair and mobility restoration.

MIT engineers have uncovered a new benefit of exercise, showing that it can aid neuron growth and potentially help repair damaged nerves. Their research found that muscle contractions during exercise release a combination of biochemical signals known as myokines, which can significantly enhance neuron growth. In lab experiments, neurons exposed to these myokines grew up to four times farther than those not exposed, revealing that exercise can stimulate nerve growth at the cellular level.

Surprisingly, the team also discovered that neurons benefit not only from these biochemical signals but also from the physical forces of exercise. By simulating muscle movements, such as contraction and stretching, they observed similar growth effects in neurons, even without biochemical triggers. This suggests that exercise’s biochemical and physical aspects contribute to neuron growth.

Published in Advanced Healthcare Materials, this study could pave the way for new therapies targeting nerve damage from injuries or neurodegenerative diseases. Ritu Raman, MIT’s assistant professor of mechanical engineering and lead author of the study, highlighted the potential of “muscle-nerve crosstalk” in treating nerve damage. According to Raman, stimulating muscles might encourage nerve growth and healing, offering hope for patients who have lost mobility due to traumatic injuries or conditions like ALS.

Raman’s team has previously shown that muscle tissue grafted into injured mice and then exercised could restore mobility to levels seen in healthy mice. This new research focuses more closely on how muscle activity directly impacts nerve growth. The team created a small sheet of mouse muscle that they modified to contract under light stimulation, mimicking exercise. They collected the myokine-rich solution around the muscle tissue and introduced it to neurons, observing immediate growth effects.

To better understand the genetic impact, the researchers performed RNA analysis on the neurons, finding that exercise-stimulated neurons expressed genes related to growth, maturation, and muscle communication. They also examined whether purely mechanical stimulation could yield similar results. By using magnets to “exercise” neurons on a flexible gel mat, they replicated the stretching and pulling neurons would experience during muscle movement. Remarkably, this mechanical stimulation led to neuron growth equivalent to biochemical exposure.

This dual effect of exercise opens up new possibilities for muscle stimulation therapies to support nerve healing. Moving forward, Raman’s team aims to explore targeted muscle activation to heal nerves, potentially restoring mobility for people with neurodegenerative diseases.

EDITORIAL TEAM
EDITORIAL TEAM
TechGolly editorial team led by Al Mahmud Al Mamun. He worked as an Editor-in-Chief at a world-leading professional research Magazine. Rasel Hossain and Enamul Kabir are supporting as Managing Editor. Our team is intercorporate with technologists, researchers, and technology writers. We have substantial knowledge and background in Information Technology (IT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Embedded Technology.

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