| Neuroscientists have discovered a new mechanism contributing to multiple sclerosis, according to research published yesterday, opening an additional path to treating the chronic neurodegenerative disease. MS is a condition in which the immune system attacks the protective coating (known as myelin) around individual nerve cells, disrupting central nervous system functions throughout the body. While researchers have long focused on protecting the myelin sheaths, a second process also occurs: Neurons in the brain’s cortex, the outermost layer of gray matter that controls higher-level cognition, also die. The new research reveals that chemical reactions caused by inflammation significantly damage the DNA of gray matter neurons, leading to cell death. The results suggest focusing solely on myelin is insufficient to treat the progressive symptoms of the disease. There is no current cure for MS, and the condition is typically diagnosed by the appearance of white lesions in the brain (see images here). |
