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Identifying Disease Causing Antibodies in Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the autoimmune disease that destroys the central nervous system (CNS) by damaging myelin, the tissue that insulates the nerves of the CNS. Previous research has suggested several different mechanisms that could contribute to clinical symptoms of MS but the cause is not understood. Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) is expressed by the cells that make myelin. Yale University and University of Connecticut researchers suggest in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that anti- MOG antibodies may cause the disease in some forms of MS but in other forms of MS, the anti-MOG antibodies only reflect tissue damage. Nancy H. Ruddle, John Rodman Paul Professor of Epidemiology and Interim Deputy Dean of Public Health, Interim Vice Chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health (EPH), and Director of Graduate Studies at EPH, and co-authors, used a mouse model of MS and determined that antibodies, both disease causing and non disease causing, reacted with components of myelin producing cells, but reacted differently. They found that there was a link between in vivo and in vitro observations as well. These observations may lead to other easier ways to evaluate the disease-causing antibodies in MS as well and may lead to simpler ways to diagnose and treat the disease. “The mechanisms inducing damage of myelin producing cells in multiple sclerosis are not clear. Antibodies have been implicated in some studies, but their roles may differ from one individual to another and at different stages of the disease,” said Ruddle. “These data provide insight into the mechanisms of tissue damage and also suggest relatively simple tests that might be used to evaluate antibodies in MS patients.” Other researchers on the study include first author, Cecilia B. Marta, Alfred R. Oliver, Rebecca A. Sweet, and Steve E. Pfeiffer. —Story by Marcie Foley |
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