Multiple Sclerosis: Re-expression of a developmental pathway

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that affects a part of the body known as the central nervous system or CNS. The CNS consists mainly of the brain and spinal cord. Surrounding and protecting the CNS nerve fibers is a tissue known as myelin, which protects and quickens the nerve impulses sent along those fibers. This myelin is created by glial cells known as oligodendrocytes which reside on the axon itself. In MS, the …

…disease is understanding what failure leads to the release of excess TGF-beta1. Blocking its actions once it is released may stop or even reverse the effects of the disease, but it will most likely lead to dependency on drug or gene therapy for the rest of the patient’s life. They add that in order to gain control over the disease, the cure must start at the source; understanding what causes the disease to begin.