News Neuroscience

Yaks may hint at a way to treat brain diseases like MS

A genetic mutation helps keep the brain healthy and even repairs some damage

A shaggy yak stands on rocky ground in a mountain valley with snowcapped peaks rising in the background.

Animals that live at high altitudes, such as this yak in Pakistan, have a genetic mutation that may suggest new ways to treat brain diseases like multiple sclerosis.

Awa.jahan/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

By Simon Makin

A brain repair kit that helps yaks and other animals naturally cope with low oxygen levels at high altitudes may point to a new way to treat brain diseases such as multiple sclerosis.