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Research suggests MS could be triggered by brain cell death
Posted: Thu Dec 17, 2015 3:11 am
by MSUK
Multiple sclerosis (MS) may be triggered by the death of brain cells that make myelin, the insulation around nerve fibres, according to research by scientists from the University of Chicago and Northwestern Medicine. The death of these cells initiates an autoimmune response against myelin, the main characteristic of the disease, which leads to MS-like symptoms in mice...Read more -
http://www.ms-uk.org/MSnews
Re: Research suggests MS could be triggered by brain cell de
Posted: Thu Dec 17, 2015 3:35 am
by CureOrBust
"To our knowledge, this is the first evidence that oligodendrocyte death can trigger myelin autoimmunity, initiating inflammation and tissue damage in the central nervous system during MS," said study co-author Dr. Maria Traka, research associate professor in neurology at the University of Chicago
ummm... this article was published 11 years ago in 2004, and has been referenced on this site many times.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15048884
Relapsing and remitting multiple sclerosis: pathology of the newly forming lesion.
Barnett MH1, Prineas JW.
Abstract:
The study describes the clinical and pathological findings in 12 patients with relapsing and remitting multiple sclerosis, who died during or shortly after the onset of a relapse. Pathological changes not previously associated with the formation of new symptomatic lesions were observed in seven cases, namely, extensive oligodendrocyte apoptosis and microglial activation in myelinated tissue containing few or no lymphocytes or myelin phagocytes. No current laboratory model of multiple sclerosis, in particular, experimental allergic encephalomyelitis, is known with these features, which raises the possibility of some novel process underlying new lesion formation in multiple sclerosis.
The other BIG difference between these two studies, the recent one is in a mouse, while the original one from 2004 was noted in
actual humans.
Wait a sec... I looked quickly at the list of articles citing the 2004 study, and found one that was written by some of the people involved in the current study, so either its a misquote or a poorly phrased statement.
http://www.nature.com/neuro/journal/vao ... .4193.html
Re: Research suggests MS could be triggered by brain cell de
Posted: Thu Dec 17, 2015 6:21 am
by MSbro
I read something a while ago about Prineas and Barnett's work. They did an autopsy on a young lady who died quite quickly after a severe MS attack which severely affected her lungs. The autopsy was done almost immediately after death and they found no evidence of immune system activity at all which prompted them to look at brain tissues from 11 other MS patients who had died. I guess this is where they found evidence of some other unknown cause of the severe brain cell death.
This went against the long standing theory of MS being solely and auto-immune disease and I would imagine not too well received by the drug companies who sell their powerful immune system altering medications.