Enzyme That Blocks Nerve Repair May Be the Hidden Culprit Behind Multiple Brain Diseases
Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Dec 12, 2025 9 hours, 49 minutes ago
Medical News: Scientists Discover CEMIP Enzyme as Barrier to Brain Repair
Researchers from Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU)-USA, have identified a little-known enzyme called CEMIP that could be preventing the brain from healing itself after damage. This discovery could be a game-changer for conditions like multiple sclerosis, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, and traumatic brain injury, all of which involve the breakdown of myelin—a fatty layer that protects nerves and helps transmit signals.
Scientists uncover a brain enzyme that stops myelin repair and may worsen conditions like MS and Alzheimer’s
CEMIP, which stands for Cell Migration Inducing and Hyaluronan Binding Protein, breaks down a substance called hyaluronic acid that builds up in the brain after injury. Normally, this buildup is part of the healing process, but when CEMIP slices hyaluronic acid into smaller fragments, it actually blocks the brain's repair system by stopping key cells from maturing. This
Medical News report brings forward a vital discovery that sheds light on why some brain injuries do not heal properly or worsen over time.
How CEMIP Blocks Myelin Repair
The researchers found that CEMIP levels are significantly higher in brain lesions where myelin is damaged—both in mice and in humans with multiple sclerosis. Myelin is essential for fast communication between nerve cells. Without it, brain signals slow down, leading to problems with movement, memory, and thinking.
In experiments, the team discovered that CEMIP interferes with oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs), which are responsible for producing myelin-forming cells. When CEMIP is active, it stops these OPCs from maturing, halting the natural repair of nerve coatings.
What makes this discovery even more promising is that researchers had already found a natural phytochemical compound in dahlias that can inhibit CEMIP. This could be developed into a future treatment to help restart the body’s ability to repair its damaged nervous system.
Hope for New Treatments and Slower Disease Progression
By identifying the role of CEMIP, the study opens up the possibility of targeting it with drugs or other therapies. Slowing down or blocking CEMIP could help patients recover from brain injuries or slow the progression of diseases that involve nerve damage.
The researchers believe this enzyme may have originally evolved to help the brain manage early injury, but in chronic conditions, it ends up doing more harm than good by preventing healing. Since CEMIP is also found in other cells like brain blood vessels and may affect how immune cells enter the brain, it could have wider effects in diseases like Alzheimer’s and stroke.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed journal: ASN Neuro
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17590914.2025.2600157
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