Elsevier reports on new human-like lab-grown motor nerves

Elsevier publication Biomaterials has published an article on the first lab-grown motor nerves that are organised and insulated in the same manner as they are in the human body.

The company explained that the research, which was carried out by scientists at the University of Central Florida (UCF), will "drastically" improve understanding about the causes of myelin-related conditions.

Elsevier said that these could include diabetic neuropathy and possibly multiple sclerosis.

Additionally, the study could enable the development and testing of new drug treatments for these conditions.

James Hickman, a bioengineer at UCF and the lead researcher on the project, said: "Being able to study these fully developed structures means we can really start looking at these things in a way that just wasn’t possible before."

Earlier this month, the company announced the Article of the Future scheme, which is an ongoing collaborative project with the scientific community that aims to redefine the way in which scientific articles are presented on the internet.