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This is great. Technological advances are really driving an increased understanding of this damn disease.


Crossing the line: how aggressive cells invade the brain

November 5, 2009 -- In diseases such as multiple sclerosis, cells of the immune system infiltrate the brain tissue, where they cause immense damage. For many years, it was an enigma as to how these cells can escape from the bloodstream. This is no trivial feat, given that specialized blood vessels act as a barrier between the nervous system and the bloodstream.

Until now, tissue sections provided the sole evidence that the immune cells really do manage to reach the nerve cells. Now, a team of scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, the University Medical Center Göttingen, and other institutes, has witnessed the movements of these cells "live" under the microscope for the very first time. In the process, they discovered several new behavioural traits of the immune cells. The consolidated findings mark a significant step forward in our understanding of this complex disease. (Nature, 14 October 2009)

for the rest of the article:
http://www.physorg.com/news176652011.html

Cool!!! There's even a video!

Course this is in rat blood, but still...

Using a two-photon microscope, the researchers succeeded in tracing the movements of aggressive T-cells labelled with the green fluorescent protein (GFP) in the living tissue of rats.

Thanks, dignan.

Very interesting!

Cool video!

But how relevant is it to MS? Are we really sure that the immune system is the culprit? Did those rats have MS?

No matter how clever this idea of observation might be, I consider it completely irrelevant, until there is some real proof of autoimmunity.

Relativity is a fantastic theory. Can we use it in MS? It would sound great: "The effects of general relativity on damaging T cells in patients with MS."

I am not questioning dignan who posted this article. I strongly question the motives of the researchers.

sou

>I strongly question the motives of the researchers.

All the scientists I know are motivated mainly by unquenchable curiosity.

This is really very interesting. Imagine the rascally little T-cells creeping about and suddenly darting into the brain tissue. But why? Does it taste better on the other side, do you suppose?

Imagine the rascally little T-cells creeping about and suddenly darting into the brain tissue. But why? Does it taste better on the other side, do you suppose?

Infection in the brain, perchance:

Chlamydia pneumoniae: crossing the barriers?

.......The cellular responses of epithelial cells, the primary home for C. pneumoniae, can be reliably induced upon acute, chronic and persistent infection. The cellular processes of the epithelial cells, elicited by chlamydial infection, cause the influx of inflammatory neutrophils, T-cells, B-cells and macrophages that are stimulated by the pro-inflammatory cytokine and chemokine environment. These cells become activated in both antigen-nonspecific and, for re-infection, antigen-specific responses to produce their own repertoire of cytokines and growth factors. The induction of host cell cytokines will promote foci of inflammatory responses in addition to promoting cellular proliferation, tissue remodelling and healing processes that, if persistent, result in scarring.......

http://www.erj.ersjournals.com/cgi/cont ... l/23/4/499


Sarah