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Cytokine Protection and Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is the most common demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS) affecting between 250,000 and 350,000 people in the United States alone and over a million people worldwide. Hallmark pathology of MS is the loss of myelin, which can be visualized as plaques using neuroimaging or histological staining techniques. Myelin is an extension of the oligodendrocyte (the myelinating cells of the CNS) cell membrane and is normally tightly coiled around the axon of a neuron to enable rapid nerve impulse conduction. Symptoms of MS can vary dramatically and may include visual impairment, sensory disturbances, coordination deficits, cognitive changes, and paralysis in later stages of the disease. MS strikes both young and old populations but onset is most often observed between the ages of 20-40. Females are twice as likely as males to develop the disease, which may indicate a hormonal connection. The etiology of the disease is unknown, but likely involves both genetic and environmental determinants.
The CNS Signaling Laboratory is focused on understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for MS. For the last decade we have studied the actions of the cytokine CNTF (ciliary neurotrophic factor) in the rodent and human CNS. Recent studies have shown that CNTF can slow and sometimes stop the demyelination process in an autoimmune animal model for MS and we feel that the promyelinating effect of CNTF is due in part to its ability to promote increased biosynthesis and uptake of cholesterol and fatty acids by oligodendrocytes thus providing these cells with the necessary components to re-synthesize the damaged myelin membrane. MS is generally considered an autoimmune disorder; however, our ongoing studies have led us to propose that development of MS is primarily a metabolic disorder involving disruption of lipid homeostasis.
The CNS Signaling Laboratory is situated in the MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease (MIND) located in the Charlestown Navy Yard in the Boston area of Massachusetts. You can contact us by mail or email at the following:
CNS Signaling Laboratory
MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease
Massachusetts General Hospital
114 16th Street, Charlestown, MA 02129