
Jian Hu, Ph.D.
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Study sheds light on fatty acid’s role in “chemobrain” and multiple sclerosis
Researchers find lipids responsible for neural function are highly active and not inert as traditionally believed
Medical experts have always known myelin, the protective coating of nerve cells, to be metabolically inert. A study led by The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center has found that myelin is surprisingly dynamic, a discovery that has implications for treatment of multiple sclerosis and a type of myelin damage caused by some chemotherapy drugs, often referred to as “chemobrain.” Chemobrain can occur in up to 70 percent of patients receiving chemotherapy, leaving them with temporary and even permanent thinking and memory impairment.

