Multiple sclerosis is one of the most devastating neurodegenerative diseases. It affects some 2.5 million people worldwide. It has no known cure.
Until now, researchers have speculated that the body's own immune system was unleashing an uncontrolled attack on myelin sheaths — our neurons' protective shield — that was largely responsible for the sudden outbreak of the disease.
But a new Tel Aviv University study published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS) pinpoints a structural instability in the myelin membranes, the "insulating tape" surrounding neurons. This vulnerability affords the immune system — and its attacks — access to otherwise protected regions.
"We found that small modifications in the myelin sheaths create structural instabilities that may help the immune system to enter and attack neurons," said Prof. Roy Beck, the study's principal investigator, of TAU's School of Physics and Astronomy and Sagol School of Neurosciences. "Current therapeutic approaches have focused on the autoimmune response without identifying a clear mechanism. Our research suggests a new avenue for multiple sclerosis therapies and diagnostics."