February 12, 2024 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Immune cells in MS may enter brain via newly found ‘sewer system’ In neurological inflammatory conditions like multiple sclerosis (MS), inflammatory immune cells may enter the brain through arachnoid cuff exit (ACE) points ā newly discovered structures that normally seem to serve as a type of sewer system in the brain, helping to move out waste. Figuring out exactly how immune…
October 23, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Protein that helps immune cells infiltrate MS brain ID’d in mice In a surprise discovery, researchers found that deleting a protein called integrin alpha-3 blocked harmful immune cells from accessing the brain ā and prevented the onset of symptoms ā in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS). Now, the researchers say that targeting this protein might be one way…
August 22, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Study shows mechanisms that help immune cells get into brain in MS Researchers have shed new light on the molecular mechanisms that help immune cells get into the brain to drive inflammation in multiple sclerosis (MS). Two proteins called MMP-9 and MMP-2 were found to break down some components of the barrier that keeps immune cells out of the brain, helping…
July 28, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Gut bacteria may be key to activate immune cells that trigger MS Pro-inflammatory immune cells that can target the brain may be activated in a specific region of the intestine by certain gut bacteria before migrating to the brain, according to a new study done in mice. Researchers say these findings provide a proof of concept for how some immune cells may…
June 30, 2023 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Aubagio shifts immune cell balance in RRMS, study reveals Aubagio (teriflunomide), an approved therapy for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), works by shifting the balance between activated subsets of nerve-damaging immune cells to those with immunosuppressive traits, a new study reveals. Further studies to understand how changes in immune cell subsets drive Aubagioās clinical effectiveness will…
May 19, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS New study data may help explain EBV and MS link When the immune system launches an attack to fight off infection with the Epstein-Barr virus, immune cells can accidentally end up targeting a protein called CRYAB that’s normally expressed by healthy myelin-making cells in the brain, a study found. The findings provide further evidence that molecular similarities between distinct…
May 11, 2023 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Researchers uncover key biological pathway for MS Interleukin-3 (IL-3), an inflammatory signaling protein, seems to coordinate the recruitment of immune cells from the blood into the brain, leading to worsening inflammation and symptoms related to multiple sclerosis (MS), a study revealed. Targeting IL-3-mediated communication may be an effective therapeutic strategy for MS and other brain disorders,…
March 17, 2023 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Vitamin D receptor defines 2 distinct lines of immune cells: Early study The body has two distinct lineages of immune cells that can be distinguished by the presence or absence of the vitamin D receptor, a preclinical study reports. The findings shed more light on how vitamin D fine-tunes immune responses and may help researchers better understand the link between vitamin…
February 21, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD High salt disrupts anti-inflammatory immune cells’ energy production Eating too much salt can disrupt the energy metabolism of regulatory T-cells (Tregs), which normally work to control inflammation and fight autoimmunity, prompting them to adopt an inflammatory profile similar to what’s seen in multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune diseases, a study found. Even a short-term exposure to…
June 15, 2022 News by Margarida Maia, PhD High Immune Cell Counts in Blood May Be Linked to MS, Study Finds Higher numbers of immune cells circulating in the bloodstream may mean a greater likelihood of developing multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study based on a large pool of genetic data in people of European ancestry. One particular type of immune cell, called natural killer (NK) cells, was linked…
February 11, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Bacteria-fighting White Blood Cell ‘Traps’ Tied to T-cell Inflammation Molecular “traps” made by neutrophils, a type of white blood cell, to fight bacteria may contribute to the excessive inflammatory activity of T-helper 17 immune T-cells, which are known to play a role in autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS). Neutrophils are equipped with a number of biochemical tools…
February 11, 2022 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Blood Stem Cell Transplant May Help Immune System Longer Treatment with an autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (aHSCT) seems to reboot the immune system in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients for at least three years, a small study found. The study, āSustained immunotolerance in multiple sclerosis after stem cell transplant,ā was published in Annals of Clinical and…
December 10, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Researchers Identify Subset of Immune Cells Driving MS A new subset of type 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3s) ā a type of immune cell known mostly for its anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive effects in the gut ā infiltrates the brain and promotes the abnormal immune attacks that drive multiple sclerosisĀ (MS), according to a study in a mouse model…
September 13, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Pro-inflammatory Th17 Immune Cells Harm Myelin-producing Cells Pro-inflammatory T helper 17 cells, known as Th17 cells ā a type of immune cell known to play a role in multiple sclerosis (MS) ā directly interact with myelin-producing cells, promoting their damage and death, according to a study in a mouse model of MS and in samples from…
April 29, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS #AANAM ā Exploring Mavenclad’s Effects on Immune Cells Editorās note: TheĀ Multiple Sclerosis News TodayĀ team is providing in-depth coverage of the 2021 Virtual AAN Annual Meeting, held April 17ā22. GoĀ hereĀ to read stories from the conference. After starting treatment with the multiple sclerosis (MS) therapy Mavenclad (cladribine), some types of immune cells are more affected…
January 14, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD New Technique May Help Isolate, Characterize T-cells in MS Research Scientists at the UCLA Broad Stem Cell Research Center have developed a technique able to more efficiently isolate specific T-cells ā immune cells involved not only in the fight against infections and cancer but also in autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) ā for research. In particular, the…
January 13, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD HTR2A Gene Changes Found Only in Progressive MS May Be New Biomarker Scientists have discovered epigenetic changes in a gene called HTR2A, found only in immune cells isolated from people with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS), a study reported.Ā These findings suggest that such changes ā external modifications to DNA that turn genes…
December 11, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Inflammatory Environment in MS Impairs Myelin Debris-clearing by Immune Cells The pro-inflammatory environment characteristic ofĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) reduces the levels of PPAR-gamma ā a receptor protein whose activation dampens inflammation ā and impairs myelin processing in immune cells that clear myelin debris, a study suggests. These findings may help to better understand how PPAR-gamma regulates the function of these…
October 29, 2020 News by Teresa Carvalho, MS Newly Discovered Type of Immune Cells May Be Key in Treating MS A recently identified group of immune cells saved damaged nerve cells from death and promoted nervous system repair, a new study suggests. This finding may represent new promise for treating neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The study, “A new neutrophil…
October 15, 2020 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD New Immune Cells Therapy Found to Suppress MS Symptoms in EAE Mice Scientists developed a new therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS) that prevents immune cells from exiting the lymph nodes and entering the spinal cord of mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) ā a condition that mimics MS in humans. The therapy, which consists of a…
September 17, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD #MSVirtual2020 – Masitinib Delays Disability Progression in PPMS, Non-active SPMS AB Scienceās lead candidate masitinibĀ safely and effectively delays disability progression in people withĀ primary progressive multiple sclerosisĀ (PPMS) and non-activeĀ secondary progressive MSĀ (SPMS), according to top-line data from a clinical trial. The therapy was found to significantly lower the risk of first and confirmed (three-month) disability progression, and to reduce…
June 19, 2020 News by Forest Ray PhD Immune B-cell Subsets Correlate with MS Progression, Study Finds Australian scientists have discovered subsets of immune cells that differ between people who have multiple sclerosis (MS) and those who donāt. Because the prevalence of these cells correlates with autoimmune attacks, they represent potential targets for MS therapies. The study, āIgG3Ā +Ā B…
April 28, 2020 News by InĆŖs Martins, PhD Rituximab May Prevent MS if Given at Earliest Disease Signs, Mouse Study Suggests Using rituximab to preventĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) in people at risk or in patients still without motor symptoms, and continuing treatment as the disease develops, may be a promising way to avoid inflammation andĀ myelinĀ loss in the brain, a study in mice suggests. In an animal model of MS,…
April 16, 2020 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Scientists Build Map of Toxic Immune Cells Contributing to Neurodegeneration in MS Scientists have built a map of the toxic immune cells that contribute to neurodegeneration in multiple sclerosis (MS).Ā Their findings may open the door to the development of new medications that protect the brain from the effects brought on by these harmful immune cells. Results were reported in the study,…
March 3, 2020 News by Ana Pena PhD #ACTRIMS2020 – IL-13 May Be ‘Attractive’ Target for Easing Inflammation in MS A signaling molecule of the immune system called interleukin 13 (IL-13) may modulate the function of key immune cells involved in multiple sclerosis (MS), and their migration through the barrier that protects the brain and spinal cord. IL-13 is an “attractive molecule” and a potential avenue for treating MS,…
February 20, 2020 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Bone Marrow Transplant Can Replace Overactive Immune Cells, Preventing Inflammation in MS, Study Says A bone marrow transplant can remove the majority of overactive immune T cells from the central nervous system (CNS) in patients with active relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), allowing the body to replace them with healthy ones, a study has found. This opens up new treatment avenues to…
February 4, 2020 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Cerebrospinal Fluid of MS Patients More Diverse and Filled with Pro-Inflammatory Cells, Study Shows People with multiple sclerosis (MS) have a more diverse set of immune cells in their cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), the fluid that bathes the central nervous system, but no such diversity is seen in their blood, a study reports. Instead, MS causes changes in the activation of immune cells in…
December 6, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Signaling Protein of Intestines May Trigger Nervous System Inflammation in MS, Study Says A signaling protein (Smad7) that usually blocks the activity of a molecule called transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-Ī²) appears to be overactive in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), leading to the activation and migration of immune cells from the intestine to the central nervous system, a study reports. The study,…
October 1, 2019 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD Detailed Genetic Map Implicates Broad Immune Cell Involvement in MS, Reports Risk Variant in X Chromosome A new large-scale genetic map implicates broad immune system dysfunction in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), suggests a key role of brain immune cells called microglia, and indicates an MS-related gene variant located in the X chromosome. Altogether, the findings ā the result of the largest reported study…
February 7, 2019 News by Jonathan Grinstein Discovery of Immune Cell Subtypes in Mice is an MS ‘Breakthrough,’ Researcher Says Previously unknown immune cell subtypes are present in the inflamed brain of mice models of multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study reports. According to the researchers, these subsets of myeloid cells (cells derived from hematopoietic stemĀ cellsĀ in the bone marrow) can offer a strong basis for therapeutic targets in neuroinflammatory and…