An autoimmune condition called multiple sclerosis ( MS ) causes irreversible disabilities. A new working model of how the immune system’s activity causes axon damage has now been proposed by ground-breaking research carried out by Leipzig University and the Max Planck Institute. Their discoveries change the course of MS and offer a novel viewpoint on how it is manifested.
Nature Neuroscience 2023, Schaffner et al.
Myelin sheaths are produced by oligodendrocytes and are in charge of protecting and improving the effectiveness of the long axons of neurons. Our current understanding of MS holds that myelin is removed and the axons are exposed to harmful inflammation when the immune system attacks oligodendrocytes.
But there was still an intriguing discrepancy. Why do we experience MS symptoms before myelination loss takes place if the loss of the axons that are coated in melanin is the only factor in the progression of MS? Scientists were forced to delve deeper and reevaluate the current model as a result of this perplexing question.
The research team examined the effects of an autoimmune attack using a combination of mouse models and human tissue samples. Amazingly, electron microscopy images revealed that the neurons that were still” protected” by myelin had the most severe damage. Naked neurons performed better in the acute inflammatory environment, despite not having the advantages of myelin coats.
Contrary to earlier hypotheses, it’s possible that the presence of damaged myelin causes axonal damage. The previous source of sustenance now poses a threat to your survival, much like the vending machine that collapsed on top of you.
The procedure is explained by Professor Klaus-Armin Nave of the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences in Göttingen, Germany. According to EurekAltert,” When oligodendrocytes are exposed to an acute inflammatory environment, they may lose their ability to support the axons, and myelin becomes an threat to the survival of oxen.”
Nature Neuroscience 2023, Schaffner et al.
Researchers have discovered a promising avenue for upcoming therapeutic interventions by identifying an important aspect of MS. According to Dr. Robert Fledrich of the Institute of Anatomy at Leipzig University,” it might actually be therapeutically better to promote rapid degradation of damaged myelin.” Encouragement of” regeneration of functional myelin” may lessen MS symptoms with the removal of the destroyed vending machine.
Sources: EurekAltert, Nature Neuroscience!