April 1, 2022 Columns by John Connor Old Friends, Broken Chairs, UTI Admissions, and Redemption The week started with a bang, albeit with a hint of underlying anxiety. Friends and former work colleagues gathered during the first days of spring to chat in my sun-lathered back garden in South London. COVID-19 lateral flow tests had all been passed. Previously, weād spent years working together on…
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…
August 10, 2020 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Immune Cell Protein CD36 Shows Potential as Therapeutic Target, Study Suggests For the first time, scientists have shown that a protein known as CD36 on the surface of some immune cells is crucial for clearing myelin debris and suppressing nerve cell inflammation in disorders such as multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new…
May 6, 2020 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Immune Cell microRNAs Are Potential MS Biomarkers, Study Suggests Altered levels of molecules important for cell regulation ā called microRNAs ā have been found in specific immune cells isolated from the blood of people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a study reveals. These immune cells, called monocytes, transform into macrophage cells,…
February 3, 2020 News by Vanessa Pataia Interaction Between Different Immune Cells May Lead to New MS Therapies, Study Suggests Scientists discovered new interaction between immune cells from the central nervous system (CNS) ā consisting of the brain and spinal cord ā and immune cells from the blood that may lead to new treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurological diseases.
September 30, 2019 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc Trigger for MS and Other Immune Diseases May Be T-cells in Early Activation State, Study Reports A specific type of immune cell in a particular activation state is linked to such immune diseases as multiple sclerosis (MS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a collaborative research study found. Disease-associated genetic variants ā changes in DNA sequences or mutations in genes ā can affect the response of immune…
February 18, 2019 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD Natural Neurosteroid Seen to Block Inflammatory Response in Immune System and Brain in Animal Study A naturally occurring compound, a neurosteroid called allopregnanolone, prevents the activation of the TLR4 protein in macrophages Ā ā a type of immune cell ā and in the brain, new research in animal models found. This effect blocks an inflammatory response in cells, and may lead to new treatments for…
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…
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…
September 14, 2018 News by Ana Pena PhD Phagocytes, Key Immune Cells, Seen to Switch from Promoting to Repairing MS Lesions in Study Phagocytes, diverse cells of the innate immune system, are known to bothĀ promote and prevent inflammation, depending on whether they are programed to damage tissue or to repair it. A study in mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS)Ā now reports that this programming is not fixed, and that pro-inflammatory…
April 24, 2018 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Compound Produced by Immune Cells May Hold Promise for Multiple Sclerosis A compound produced by immune cells is able to treat psoriasis ā a skin disorder ā in mice, and may be effective against other autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, according to a recent study. The study, āElectrophilic properties of itaconate and derivatives regulate the IĪŗBĪ¶āATF3 inflammatory…
December 5, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Hormonal Pathway That Controls Blood Pressure Shows Anti-inflammatory Potential A hormonal system that controls blood pressure was also seenĀ to counter inflammatory processes in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS) by influencing immune cells to take on a more anti-inflammatory profile. Researchers believe that it might be possible to manipulate the system with drugs, so as to boost anti-inflammatory…
December 1, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Protein from Parasite Lowers Relapse Rates, Evidence of Demyelination in Mice with MS A moleculeĀ secreted by a parasite was seen to prevent autoimmune reactionsĀ in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS). As this molecule, a protein factor or peptide, also worked to preventĀ diabetes, researchers suggestĀ it might be developed intoĀ aĀ potential treatment for autoimmune diseases. The study, “A parasite-derived 68-mer peptide ameliorates…
June 9, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #CMSC16 – Metabolism in MS and the Role of Mitochondrial Dysfunction One June 3, a workshopĀ titled āMetabolism in MS and Related Conditionsā was presented at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC), heldĀ June 1-4 in National Harbor, Maryland. One of the speakers was Dr. David Sheikh-Hamad, professor of medicine-nephrology at Baylor College of…
November 24, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MS Patients on Salt-heavy Diets Risk Inflammation Findings from two studies, recently published in theĀ 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…
November 4, 2015 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD New Multiple Sclerosis Study Reveals Protein’s Role in Disease Activation In a new study entitled āTranscription factor Nr4a1 couples sympathetic and inflammatory cues in CNS-recruited macrophages to limit neuroinflammation,ā a team of scientists discovered the mechanism by whichĀ autoreactiveĀ T cells are capable of penetrating a patient’sĀ brain and induce multiple sclerosis. The study was recently published in the advance online issue…