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…

A signaling protein (Smad7) that usually blocks the activity of a molecule called transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) 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,…

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 — the result of the largest reported study…

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 stem cells in the bone marrow) can offer a strong basis for therapeutic targets in neuroinflammatory and…

A genetic variant associated with an increased risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) due to its impact on certain immune system cells can also affect brain cells called astrocytes, a study shows. Reported in the study, “Enhanced astrocyte responses are driven by a genetic risk allele associated with multiple…

A cell recycling process helps trigger an immune response against myelin, the protective layer covering nerve cell axons to aid in signal transmission, a multiple sclerosis (MS) study indicates. When University of Zurich researchers eliminated the process, mice developed much milder forms of an MS-like disease. Loss of myelin is the…

Omega-3 fatty acids might reduce inflammatory processes by boosting a mechanism that cleans out dysfunctional or unnecessary proteins in a certain type of immune cells, according to a study published in the journal Autophagy. These insights indicate that omega-3 supplements might be beneficial for certain multiple sclerosis (MS) patients,…

Researchers at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC) have developed a new experimental method to specifically target unwanted activation of the immune system without the toxicity of current immunoregulatory drugs. According to the study “Manipulating DNA damage-response signaling for the treatment of immune-mediated diseases,” published in the journal …

A cytomegalovirus infection triggers an increase in inflammatory and cytotoxic immune cells in mice with multiple sclerosis (MS), which leads to enhanced inflammation and loss of nerve-protecting myelin. The study, “Cytomegalovirus infection exacerbates autoimmune mediated neuroinflammation,” was published in the journal Scientific Reports. A cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection…

Smoking can kill off the immune cells that commonly protect people from multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune diseases, say researchers at the University of Copenhagen — a finding that may lead to new ways of treating such illnesses. Their study, “Smoking reduces circulating CD26hiCD161hi MAIT cells in healthy…

The use of antibiotics in childhood, which alters the microbiome — or natural bacteria flora in the gut — may increase the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and other inflammatory diseases, according to an Australian study. The mouse study, “Early-life antibiotic treatment enhances the…

A recent study published in Nature Communications showed, for the first time, that a protein complex called LUBAC is responsible for controlling the late-stage development of immune T-cells before they are released into the bloodstream. Several types of cells compose the immune system, working together to fight infections or cancer.

Researchers at Queen’s University Belfast are studying how myelin might be repaired, in an attempt to reverse the damage caused by multiple sclerosis (MS). The more than £2 million, five-year research grant is jointly funded by  the Wellcome Trust, in its first Investigator Award for Northern Ireland, and by the BBSRC, the Biotechnology and Biosciences…

Building on work began in stroke studies and applying it to multiple sclerosis, researchers in France report that an antibody they developed kept the blood-brain barrier intact in cellular and mice MS models despite the presence of inflammation, preventing immune cells from entering the brain. The key to understanding the study…

New data presented by Biogen and AbbVie at the recent 68th annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) showed that Zinbryta (daclizumab high-yield process) improved cognitive outcome measures in patients with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (RMS). Additional results — from post-hoc analyses of clinical trials — also offer a better…

Findings from two studies, recently published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, indicate that high levels of salt alter the stability of the immune system and make it more susceptible to inflammation. The studies, which were led by Dr. David Hafler from Yale University and Dr. Dominik…

In a recent study entitled “Promotion of Remyelination by Sulfasalazine in a Transgenic Zebrafish Model of Demyelination,” researchers investigated whether sulfasalazine treatment, an anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating drug, could promote remyelination of axons in an organism model of demyelination diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). The study was published in the…

In a recent study entitled “MicroRNA expression profiling of human blood monocyte subsets highlights functional differences,” a team of researchers discovered a pool of 66 microRNAs that underlie differences in phenotype and function of a group of immune cells with key roles in multiple sclerosis. The study was published…