Molecules in the blood of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients promote a pro-inflammatory state and impair the metabolism and integrity of the blood-brain barrier, a study suggests. In MS, the disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) — a highly selective and protective membrane — allows immune cells to reach the central nervous…

Stopping the migration of immune B-cells through the blood-brain barrier by blocking ALCAM, a molecule linked to the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS), lessened disease severity in an MS mouse model, a new study shows. Details of the discovery were reported…

Interleukin-17A (IL-17A), a molecule that mediates immune and inflammatory responses, likely promotes inflammation and tissue damage in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and should be considered a potential target for treating the disease, a study reports. The findings of the study, “IL-17A is associated with the breakdown of the…

By tweaking stem cells in a laboratory, researchers were able to generate a model of the human blood-brain barrier (BBB) in a chip. The BBB is a highly selective barrier that is damaged in multiple sclerosis (MS), allowing immune cells to reach the central nervous system and damage…

In mapping the immune system of the brain in mice and humans, scientists in Germany found that microglia — a type of nerve cell located in the central nervous system and responsible for supporting and protecting neurons — share the same core design, but behave differently depending on the specific function each…

High levels of a protein called calnexin in the brain may disrupt the blood-brain barrier of patients with multiple sclerosis, a Canadian study suggests. The finding could lead to new treatment strategies to prevent brain damage in MS. The research, “Calnexin is necessary for T cell…

Researchers found that blocking a protein, known as integrin alpha 8, may work to prevent inflammation in the central nervous system of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The results were revealed in an oral presentation, “Integrin alpha8 is a novel mediator of T lymphocyte migration across the CNS barriers,” at the 32nd Congress of the European Committee…