The Latest Biology News And Medical NewsBiology News 2Health News 2Biology News 3Health News 3
HOME >> MEDICINE >> NEWS
Central nervous system beckons attack in MS-like disease

It may sound like a case of blame the victim, but researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown that cells in the central nervous system can sometimes send out signals that invite hostile immune system attacks. In mice the researchers studied, this invitation resulted in damage to the protective covering of nerves, causing a disease resembling multiple sclerosis.

"It's been clear for quite a while that our own lymphocytes (white blood cells) have the ability to enter the central nervous system and react with the cells there," says John Russell, Ph.D., professor of molecular biology and pharmacology. "Under normal circumstances, the brain and the immune system cooperate to keep out those cells that might harm the brain. But in people with multiple sclerosis, they get in."

The researchers found that they could prevent destructive immune cells from entering nervous system tissue by eliminating a molecular switch that sends "come here" messages to immune cells. Ordinarily, flipping that switch would cause immune cells to rush to the vicinity of the cells that sent the signals and destroy whatever they consider a danger -- including nerve cell coatings.

But in the mice in which the switch was removed, the researchers saw that immune cells previously primed by the scientists to attack the central nervous system (CNS) did not enter the CNS, and the mice stayed healthy.

In contrast, normal mice treated with the same hostile immune cells had numerous immune cells in their CNS tissue and developed symptoms similar to multiple sclerosis.

"What allows the primed lymphocytes into the CNS are signals from the CNS asking them in," Russell says. "We determined that the astrocytes, the specialized cells that provide nutrients to neurons, are among the cells most active in sending signals to attract lymphocytes."

The molecular switch that sends the call to immune cells is termed the tumor necrosis facto
'"/>

Contact: Gwen Ericson
ericsong@wustl.edu
314-286-0122
Washington University School of Medicine
16-Jun-2006


Page: 1 2

Related medicine news :

1. Asia Pacific Family Medicine moves to BioMed Centrals open access platform
2. BioMed Central announces Journal of Medical Case Reports
3. ACPs electronic medical resource ranked no. 1 evidence-based tool by MLAs South Central Chapter
4. BioMed Centrals Deborah Saltman awarded the Rose-Hunt Award
5. BioMed Central Journals join Medscape Publishers Circle
6. North Central Cancer Treatment Group finding ways to make treatment easier
7. What constitutes acceptable earthquake risk in the Central United States?
8. NHS England extend BioMed Central membership to 2008
9. Promising therapy for ALS delivers antisense drug directly to nervous system
10. Role of nervous system in fatal heart rhythm under study
11. Lipids play important role in nervous system development

Post Your Comments:
*Name:
*Comment:
*Email:
TAG: Central nervous system beckons attack like disease

(Date:11/23/2009)...an three-quarters getting chemo deal with insomnia...hDay News) -- Insomnia and sleep disorders affect ...oing chemotherapy, a rate nearly three times highe... finds. , The problem is more common in younger...s, said University of Rochester Medical Center res...
(Date:11/23/2009)... CENTERCITY,Minn.,Nov.23/PRNewswire/--Hazelden,the...center,todayannouncedtheleadershipteamforitsnewrec...tyinNaplesisscheduledtoopeninlateMarch2010,andwill...s,includingafullarrayoffamilyandoutpatientservices...rectorofHazelden,sfacilityinNaples,withBrendaIliff...
(Date:11/23/2009)... WASHINGTON,Nov.23/PRNewswire-USNewswire/-- The A...,slargestindividualmembershipassociationofstateleg...ativeTimScott forpre-filinga constitutionalamendme...lthcarechoices.SouthCarolinanowbecomesthe24thstate...islationmodeledafterALEC,s FreedomofChoiceinHealth...
(Date:11/23/2009)...EN, N.J. The Center for Science Writings at Steve...tion of God," a talk by Robert Wright, journalist ... 2, 2009, 4:00-5:30 p.m. at the Babbio Center for ... and open to the public and the media., In his n...urnalist Robert Wright, renowned for his popular w...
(Date:11/23/2009)...rsity of Alberta graduate student Jennifer Heys wa...ore education in Ugandan communities about contrac...iduals and their desire to bear more children, was...red last week at the International Conference on F...tudied at the School of Public Health, spent six m...
Breaking Medicine News(10 mins):Health News:Hazelden Names Leadership Team for New Recovery Center in Naples, Florida 2Health News:South Carolina Now 24th State to Defend Health Care Choice 2Health News:AIDS research reveals a lack of family-planning programs in Uganda 2
(Date:11/23/2009)...ov.23/PRNewswire-FirstCall/-- CryoLife,Inc. (NYSE:...iovasculartissueprocessingcompany,announcedtodayth...ray21stAnnualHealthCareConferenceatTheNewYorkPalac...sidentandchiefexecutiveofficerofCryoLife,Inc.,will...tdevelopmentsandhostaquestionandanswersessionat4:3...
(Date:11/23/2009)...,Tenn.,Nov.23/PRNewswire-FirstCall/-- CumberlandPh...newtop-lineresultsfromastudyevaluatingthesafetyand...feverinhospitalizedburnpatients. ,, Statistical...cingfeverinburnpatientsoverthefirst24hoursoftreatm...orthirddegreeburnscoveringmorethan10percenttotalbo...
(Date:11/23/2009)...IRE,Ill.,Nov.23/PRNewswire/--Sarnova,Inc.,thenatio...intheemergencymedicalservices(EMS)andrespiratoryma...estoitsseniormanagementteam.Thenewexecutivesinclud...executivevicepresidentandgeneralcounsel;SteveLacke...le,executivevicepresidentofcorporatedevelopment. ,...
Breaking Medicine Technology:CryoLife to Present at 21st Annual Piper Jaffray Health Care Conference 2Caldolor(R) (Ibuprofen) Injection Demonstrates Significant Fever Reduction in Hospitalized Burn Patients 2Caldolor(R) (Ibuprofen) Injection Demonstrates Significant Fever Reduction in Hospitalized Burn Patients 3Sarnova Expands Senior Management Team 2Cardium Announces Plans to File FDA 510 28k 29 Application for U S Marketing Clearance of ExcellagenXL 28TM 29 Gel for Diabetic Pressure and Venous 14682 1Cardium Announces Plans to File FDA 510 28k 29 Application for U S Marketing Clearance of ExcellagenXL 28TM 29 Gel for Diabetic Pressure and Venous 14682 2Cardium Announces Plans to File FDA 510 28k 29 Application for U S Marketing Clearance of ExcellagenXL 28TM 29 Gel for Diabetic Pressure and Venous 14682 3Cardium Announces Plans to File FDA 510 28k 29 Application for U S Marketing Clearance of ExcellagenXL 28TM 29 Gel for Diabetic Pressure and Venous 14682 4Private Investment Firm Czura Thornton Today Introduces Clearstone Central Laboratories as the Newest Member of the Czura Thornton Life Science Group 5914 1Private Investment Firm Czura Thornton Today Introduces Clearstone Central Laboratories as the Newest Member of the Czura Thornton Life Science Group 5914 2Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute at St Davids Medical Center First in the United States to Utilize Newly FDA Cleared CARTO 28R 29 3 Navigation Syst 5912 1Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute at St Davids Medical Center First in the United States to Utilize Newly FDA Cleared CARTO 28R 29 3 Navigation Syst 5912 2
Other News:
In the drive to understand and harness quantum effects as they relate to information processing, scientists in Waterloo and Massachusetts have benchmarked quantum control methods on a 12-Qubit system.
...School of Medicine in St. Louis found that an anti...rent depression and increase the length of time be...s......."That's important not only because people ...heir depression. It's also key to helping manage b...
...Medical Center researcher shows that 99 percent of...ruation or became pregnant within 90 days after st...tive taken every day without placebo. Findings fr...nted this week at the American College of Obstetri...
...ures, particularly during adolescence, according t...searchers say that more targeted treatments promot...ood-onset arthritis throughout their lifespan........ng childhood, the researchers also found that chil...
health news:12-Qubits reached in quantum information quest 2health news:Antidepressant drug may prevent recurrence of depression in patients with diabetes 2health news:Study shows rapid return to menses once oral contraception stopped 2health news:Childhood arthritis raises risk of broken bones 2
...nn. -- A new Mayo Clinic study has found a low ris...he researchers say that most patients who have epi...ily activities to avoid injury. The study will be .../www.neurology.org.......Elson So, M.D., Mayo Clin...
...onducted by the Big Ten Sports Medicine Committee ...ion (NCAA) rule change, instituted in 1998, limiti... sessions did not have the desired effect of reduc...lower than those of fall practices.......In 1998, ...
Bringing his experiences with international relief agencies back home to the University of Houston, Jerry E. Vincent, O.D., M.P.H., will give two lectures at noon and 5:30 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 11. ..
...ymorphism and Cortical Size in Normal Humans ......ay, Joseph H. Callicott, Bhaskar S. Kolachana, Ric...denberg, and Daniel R. Weinberger.... ...Brain-d...ynaptic plasticity and memory formation by several...
health news:Injury from epileptic seizures relatively rare, Mayo Clinic study find 2health news:Injury from epileptic seizures relatively rare, Mayo Clinic study find 3health news:Study of Big Ten football injuries shows NCAA rule change did not reduce injury rates 2health news:Study of Big Ten football injuries shows NCAA rule change did not reduce injury rates 3health news:Study of Big Ten football injuries shows NCAA rule change did not reduce injury rates 4health news:Eye care for refugees, the displaced discussed at UH 2