February 19, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD MS-linked Molecule IL-17 Impaired Immune Cells in Mice’s Brains Sustained, excessive levels of interleukin 17A (IL-17A) ā a pro-inflammatory molecule linked to multiple sclerosisĀ (MS) and other autoimmune diseases ā reduce the number and activity of the brainās immune cells in the dentate gyrus, according to a study in mice. The dentate gyrus is part of the hippocampus, a…
February 15, 2021 News by Aisha I Abdullah PhD TH17-suppressing Pregnancy Proteins May Be MS Therapeutic Target Proteins called PSGs suppress the pro-inflammatory activity of immune Th17 cells during pregnancy, potentially playing a protective role against complications and miscarriage, a study finds.Ā The impaired regulation of Th17 is associated with pregnancy complications, like preeclampsia and preterm delivery ā and also with the development…
November 24, 2020 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Tysabri Affects Immune System Beyond Known MS Target, Study Finds Lower levels of pro-inflammatory immune signaling proteins were found in the blood of people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) treated with Tysabri (natalizumab) and were associated with fewer relapses and less disability, a study has found.
April 14, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Researchers Shed Light on Anti-inflammatory Effects of Vitamin D Supplements in MS Vitamin DĀ supplements promote a shift toward an anti-inflammatory state in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) through an increase of two key molecules, IL-27 and TGF-beta 1, a study shows. These findings add another level of regulation to a previous model linking the intake of vitamin…
February 6, 2020 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Interleukin-17A Plays Key Role in Inflammation in MS, Mouse Study Finds The immune signaling molecule interleukin-17A (IL-17A) promotes the recruiting of inflammatory cells to the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) in a multiple sclerosis (MS) mouse model, a study found. The findings support the potential of therapies that target IL-17 in MS. IL-17A is part of the IL-17…
September 4, 2019 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Targeting Inflammatory Th17 Cells to Slow MS Disability Possible with Fewer Side Effects, Study Suggests Scientists may have found a way to manipulate T-helper 17 (Th17) cells so as to lower their ability to trigger inflammation, delaying the onset ofĀ multiple sclerosisĀ (MS) in a mouse model and slowing its progression without affecting the entire immune system. Their findings may lead to new treatments with fewer…
January 14, 2019 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Typhoid Vaccine Treats MS by Promoting Regulatory T-cells, Mouse Study Reports Treating a common animal model ofĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) with a typhoid vaccine eased disease symptomsĀ by prompting T helper cells to stop production of a pro-inflammatory factor ā interleukin (IL)-17 ā and by promoting greater numbers of anti-inflammatory Ā regulatory T-cells, researchers report. Their study, āTargeting prohibitins at the…
August 24, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Cannabidiol Increases Inflammatory Suppressor Cells, New MS Mouse Study Shows Non-psychoactiveĀ cannabidiol (CBD), one of the active compounds in medicalĀ cannabis, significantly reduced clinical signs of multiple sclerosis (MS)-like disease in an experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis mouse model. Researchers found that CBD promoted the increase of inflammatory-suppressor cells calledĀ myeloid-derived suppressor cells. The findings were reported in the study āCannabidiol Attenuates Experimental Autoimmune…
January 18, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Excessive Salt Consumption Leads to Cognitive Impairment, MS Mouse Study Shows New research shows how a high-salt diet leads to excessive levels of interleukin-17 (IL-17) in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, causing changes in endothelial cells that result in dementia. These findings suggest that therapeutics targeting IL-17 may help halt the neurovascular damages of MS and other autoimmune diseases linked to high…
August 14, 2017 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Human Gut Microbes May Help Suppress MS, New Research Suggests A bacteria present in the gut, called Prevotella histicola, prevented multiple sclerosis from developing in a preclinical mouse model, found researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, along with colleagues at the University of Iowa. Current research suggests that alterations to the gut microbiome residing in human intestines may potentially trigger inflammatory diseases such as MS. In an attempt to identify which gut resident bacteria are capable of modulating immune responses, researchers studied cultured small pieces of intestine tissue extracted from biopsies of patients with celiac disease. The team then isolated three bacteria strains and found that one of species ā P. histicola ā had the capacity to suppress MS in a preclinical animal model of the disease. āThis is an early discovery but an avenue that bears further study," Dr. Joseph Murray, a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist and the study's lead author, said in a press release. "If we can use the microbes already in the human body to treat human disease beyond the gut itself, we may be onto a new era of medicine. We are talking about bugs as drugs." By investigating how P. histicola modulated immune responses to suppress MS, researchers found that bacteria decreased the expression of two pro-inflammatory cytokines ā interferon-gamma and interleukin (IL)-17. Overall results show that P. histicola has immune modulatory activity and can suppress abnormal immune responses, which ultimately prevent autoimmunity. This supports the idea that maintaining a healthy microbial community within our intestines is a potential therapeutic strategy for MS. "Our work is a classic example of a bedside-to-bench and potentially back to bedside study. Recent MS microbiome studies have shown the lack of Prevotella genus in patients with the disease and an increase when patients were treated with disease-modifying drugs," said Ashutosh Mangalam, the study's first author and an assistant professor of pathology at University of Iowa's Carver College of Medicine. "And it's not just for MS, because this may have a similar modulating effect on other nervous system and autoimmune diseases."
December 4, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Brickell Biotech Targeting MS and Other Autoimmune Diseases Brickell Biotech, Inc., a pharmaceutical company developingĀ novel therapies in the field of dermatology, recently announced it has exclusive worldwide rights over a series of new, retinoic acid-related orphan nuclear receptor gamma (RORy) inhibitors from the New York University (NYU) and Orca Pharmaceuticals.Ā As part of the agreement, Brickell will be…