Multiple sclerosis: help for cellular self-help
16.01.2019
In diseases such as multiple sclerosis, the insulating sheathing of nerve cells is damaged. Researchers at the Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin have now discovered how the body sets its own repair mechanism in motion to limit these damages. The results form the basis for the development of new drugs for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. They were published in the renowned journal Nature Communications*.
It is the most common autoimmune disease of the central nervous system: It is estimated that more than 200,000 people in Germany are affected by multiple sclerosis. They suffer from impaired vision and sensation, as well as from impaired coordination and even paralysis. The reason for these symptoms is a disturbed transmission of signals in the brain or spinal cord: In multiple sclerosis, the body's own immune system attacks the so-called myelin sheaths, which encase and electrically isolate the nerve cells. Without intact myelin sheaths, communication between nerve cells is impaired. Scientists around the world are looking for ways to repair myelin sheaths in people with multiple sclerosis in order to alleviate their neurological symptoms. Researchers at the Charité have now taken a decisive step towards this Goal.
Contact:
Dr. Sarah-Christin Staroßom
Institut für Medizinische Immunologie
Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin
t: +49 30 450 524 339
E-Mail: sarah-christin.starossom(at)charite.de
Original publication:
Starossom SC et. al., Chi3l3 induces oligodendrogenesis and reduces disease severity in an experimental model of autoimmune neuroinflammation. 2019 Jan 15. doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-08140-7, Link