Methylene Blue (Tetramethylthionine Chloride) Influences the Mobility of Adult Neural Stem Cells: A Potentially Novel Therapeutic Mechanism of a Therapeutic Approach in the Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease
Affiliations: [a] Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Duisburg-Essen, LVR Hospital, Essen, Germany
| [b]
Max-Plank Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| [c] Department of Neurology, Chair of Vascular Neurology and Dementia, University Hospital of Essen, Germany
| [d]
Sheppard Pratt- Research Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
| [e] Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, MA, USA
| [f] Department of Psychiatry, University of Tübingen, Germany
| [g] Department of Psychiatry, University of Göttingen, Germany
| [h] Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Halle (Saale), Germany
Correspondence:
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Correspondence to: PD Dr. med. Jens Benninghoff, LVR Hospital, University Hospital of Essen, Virchowstr, 45045 Essen, Germany. Tel.: +49 2261 171910; Fax: +49 2261 171535; E-mail: jens.benninghoff@uni-due.de.
Abstract: An interest in neurogenesis in the adult human brain as a relevant and targetable process has emerged as a potential treatment option for Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of tetramethylthionine chloride (methylene blue, MB) on properties of adult murine neural stem cells. Based on recent clinical studies, MB has increasingly been discussed as a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. While no differences in the proliferative capacity were identified, a general potential of MB in modulating the migratory capacity of adult neural stem cells was indicated in a cell mobility assay. To our knowledge, this is the first time that MB could be associated with neural mobility. The results of this study add insight to the spectrum of features of MB within the central nervous system and may be helpful for understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying a potential therapeutic effect of MB.
