Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system that usually develops between 20 and 40. This condition is caused by immune cells mistakenly attacking the tissue surrounding the brain and spinal nerve cells. living. MS causes neurological symptoms such as sensory disturbances, difficulty walking and balance, and impaired vision. There is no cure, only treatments that reduce relapse rates and alleviate symptoms.
Four new self-antibiotics
“Current MS treatments are quite haphazard in terms of their effect on the immune system, which ultimately carries the risk of complications, such as infection,” said Dr Mattias Bronge. student in Hans Grönlund’s research group at Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet. “Directing future treatments more precisely to the immune cells that control disease could lead to greater effectiveness and fewer side effects.”
Working together with Professor Tomas Olsson’s research group at Karolinska Institutet, Grönlund and his team have developed a method to help identify T cells that respond to specific target molecules – so-called autoantibodies original. The present study describes four novel autoantigens that can be added to the few previously identified antigens in MS and will contribute significantly to future developments in diagnosis and treatment.
Precision medicine
Hans Grönlund, Docent in immunology, said: “Our method makes it possible for us to present these autoantigens to allow us to identify and then neutralize T cells that respond to these autoantigens. they.
People with MS can respond to autoantigens differently, so it is essential to identify each patient’s disease-causing immune cells. This way of creating personalized treatments is called precision therapy.
Dr. Grönlund explains: “Once a patient’s individual autoantigen profile is determined, a treatment can be tailored accordingly. “Most autoimmune diseases are driven by T cells, and if we can find a way to target them in diseases like MS, we could pave the way for more precise treatments.” with fewer side effects for other autoimmune diseases. Thanks to our long-term cooperation with Professor Roland Martin at the University of Zürich, our method will be included in a phase 2 clinical study that aims to ‘turn off the growth-promoting active T cells’ progression and progression of MS’.
Blood samples of patients with MS
The present study involved 63 proteins analyzed in blood samples from MS patients and healthy controls, four of which demonstrated autoimmune responses in MS; FABP7, PROK2, RTN3 and SNAP91. The test proteins were selected in collaboration with the Human Protein Atlas and Professor Torbjörn Gräslund at KTH Royal Institute of Technology. The study was carried out by KI, KTH, and the Stockholm Region.
The source: Karolinska Institutet
