Thursday, March 10, 2011
Mouse Model Reveals Method for Mitigating MS
From Washington University in St. Louis
Scientists have blocked harmful immune cells from entering the brain in mice with a condition similar to multiple sclerosis (MS). The disease is believed to be caused by immune cells that enter the brain and damage myelin, an insulating material on the branches of neurons that conduct nerve impulses.
According to researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, this is important because MS is believed to be caused by misdirected immune cells that enter the brain and damage myelin, an insulating material on the branches of neurons that conduct nerve impulses.
“The results were so dramatic that we ended up producing early evidence that this compound might be helpful as a drug for MS,” says Robyn Klein, MD, PhD, associate professor of pathology and immunology, of medicine and of neurobiology. “The harmful immune cells were unable to gain access to the brain tissue, and the mice that received the highest dosage were protected from disease.”
Read the full article here.
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