August 30, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Targeting Protein Could Protect Nerve Cells via Blood-CNS Barrier The protective barrier that prevents cells and large molecules from crossing into the central nervous system (CNS) is known to be unusually “leaky” in multiple sclerosis (MS), but targeting a protein called ARF6Ā can help to stabilize this barrier, a study in mouse models of MS found. Such a treatment…
March 28, 2022 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Key to Unlocking Blood-brain Barrier Discovered in Mouse Study A team of researchers has discovered that the key to bypassing the blood-brain barrier ā a semipermeable border that protects the brain against toxins in the blood but also blocks potential treatments ā is the Unc5B receptor in the endothelial cells that line the tiny blood vessels in the brain.
August 17, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Blocking Protein, Reelin, Seen to Protect Immune System From Inflammation Lowering levels of a protein calledĀ reelin ā which regulates how permeable blood vessels are to immune cells ā reduced infiltration of these cells into the central nervous systemĀ (CNS), preventing neuroinflammation and disease progression in a mouse model of multiple sclerosisĀ (MS). These data, which also showed that Reelin…
June 9, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Blood Factors Impair Metabolism of Blood-brain Barrier in MS, Study Suggests Molecules in the blood of multiple sclerosisĀ (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 barrierĀ (BBB)Ā ā a highly selective and protective membrane ā allows immune cells to reach the central nervous…
June 13, 2019 Columns by Tamara Sellman Need to Know: What Is the Blood Brain Barrier? Editor’s note: “Need to Knowā is a series inspired by common forum questions and comments from readers. Have a comment or question about MS? Visit our forum.Ā This week’s question is inspired by the forum topicĀ “How the Blood Brain Barrier May Thwart MS Progression” from Feb. 9, 2017. What…
February 25, 2019 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Podocalyxin Helps Protect Blood-brain Barrier During Inflammation, Mouse Study Shows Podocalyxin, a protein found in cells lining the interior of blood vessels, is key for maintaining the integrity of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in mice with systemic infection, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic target for neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS), a study shows. Disruption of the…
January 24, 2019 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Study of Myelin Debris Sheds Light on Brain Inflammation in MS Endothelial cells, those lining the inside of small blood vessels, promote clearance of myelin debris ā a common detrimental outcome of demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) or spinal cord injury. However, in its path to clear the brain from myelin debris, endothelial cells trigger more damaging mechanisms, promoting…
March 8, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Increase in Blood-Brain Barrier Protein May Protect Against MS, Study Finds One way the body may protect itself from nerve cell inflammation is to have cells in the blood-brain barrier increase their production of a protein that keeps immune cells from entering the brain, researchers in Germany and Canada report. The finding suggests that scientists could develop a multiple sclerosis therapy around the protein, known as EGFL7. It would work by preventing as many inflammation-generating immune cells from entering the brain. The underlying trigger for MS is immune cells crossing the blood-brain barrier to invade theĀ central nervous systemĀ (CNS). The barrier isĀ a selective membrane that shields the CNS from general blood circulation. Therapies that prevent immune cells from entering the brain can help control the disease, studies have shown. They includeĀ Tysabri (natalizumab, marketed by Biogen). But āas with other highly effective disease-modifying therapies which influence a broad range of peripheral immune cells, potential devastating adverse events limit the use of this therapy as a first-line agent,ā the researchers wrote. The team at Mainz University Medical Center in GermanyĀ and the University of MontrealĀ wondered if epidermal growth factor-like protein 7 (EGFL7) could prevent the brain inflammation in MS. Ā Although scientists had not previously linked it to MS, it was shown to regulate the migration of immune cells into breast cancer tumors. The CNS response to the chronic inflammation seen in MS patients and a mouse model of the disease was to increase EGFL7 in the blood-brain barrier, the researchers found. Researchers said the increase prevented pro-inflammatory immune cells from crossing into the CNS. Endothelial cells that line blood capillaries in the blood-brain barrier are the ones that secrete EGFL7. āWe postulate that EGFL7 upregulation by BBB-ECs [brain blood barrier-endothelial cells] is induced as a compensatory mechanism to promote survival and recovery of BBB function in neuroinflammatory conditions,ā the team wrote. Researchers then tested what happened in mice that lacked EGFL7. They found that the mice developed MS earlier and that their blood-brain barrier membrane was less efficient at keeping immune cells out. Treatment with EGFL7 improved the disease severity in the MS mice and tightened the blood-brain barrier, they said. āIn light of our findings, smaller EGFL7 agonists, in development for other diseases, could therefore constitute an appealing therapeutic avenue for MS,ā the team concluded.