Groundbreaking research into MS could enable development of new treatments
The types of nerve cells which are lost through developing Multiple Sclerosis (MS) have been identified for the first time, in a breakthrough which could yield the development of new nerve-protecting treatments.
In a new study, researchers found that the inhibitory interneurons are lost in people who have MS.
Previously, it was only known that myelin, the protective coating around nerves, is damaged in MS – but pinpointing the selective loss of specific nerve cells has now been established.
The research, from the MS Society Edinburgh Centre for MS Research, could now lead to steps forward in the development of treatments to help protect the nerves most at risk.
Using brain tissue samples from the MS Society Tissue Bank, Professor Anna Williams and her team found a dramatic reduction in the number of inhibitory interneurons in tissue from people who had been living with MS, compared to people without the condition.
Another type of neuron – stimulating neurons – remained the same, even in people who had MS for decades.
Current treatments for MS target the immune system and reduce damage to the myelin, but by identifying how to replace lost myelin and protect nerves is the goal for researchers – and has been brought closer by this research.
“Our research has shown that a specific type of neuron, called an inhibitory interneuron, is damaged in people with MS,” says Professor Williams, who led the study.
“This is really important because, in the search for new treatments, it focuses our efforts on trying to stop the damage and death of these special cells.
“Our next step is to convert this knowledge into new treatments that protect nerves and prevent neurodegeneration – and ultimately disability – in people living with MS.”
The research team also generated a new mouse model of myelin damage, which showed the same selective loss of inhibitory neurons seen in humans – showing that myelin damage leads directly to nerve damage.
Researchers will now be able to test new treatments in the mice to see if they can prevent the inhibitory neurons from being damaged. This will help develop new treatments to protect nerves in MS.
Dr Lida Zoupi, who worked on this study, says: “In our mouse model, we show that demyelination directly leads to neurodegeneration, answering a long-standing debate between MS researchers in the process.
“By confirming this, we have a vital new insight into the mechanisms behind neurodegeneration, which could potentially be used as a model for the development of neuroprotective treatments.”
The research was hailed as a vital step in the ongoing efforts to understand MS and develop treatments as a result.
“We’ve made huge progress in finding treatments that target the immune system, but many people living with MS still don’t have access to effective treatments,” says Dr Emma Gray, assistant director of research at the MS Society.
“We believe this study represents a vital step in our mission to stop MS.
“Work like this, which is based at our Edinburgh Centre and used samples from the MS Society Tissue Bank, shows just how important charity funded research is to the overall research landscape, and we’re proud to have made it possible.”
