For years, researchers have been trying to figure out what causes multiple sclerosis (MS). Strength, weakness, coordination, and flexibility are the things we take for granted.

These bodily functions work together, operating seamlessly and automatically, enabling us to carry out our daily activities with ease.

However, for more than two million individuals worldwide suffering from MS, this isn’t always the case.

MS, the debilitating neurological condition, causes the immune system to attack the central nervous system and damage myelin, the coating around nerve fibers. The outcome is that communication within the nervous system is disrupted, resulting in symptoms such as fatigue, pain, loss of bladder function, and walking problems.

What causes Multiple Sclerosis?

The cause of multiple sclerosis is unknown, but factors such as genetics, viral infections, and environmental factors are believed to play a role.

Researchers now say they have discovered a new type of immune cell participating in the attack against myelin, which could help in figuring out the cause of MS and pave the way for improved treatments.

Scientists’ Research on Multiple Sclerosis

The researchers worked on a mouse model with conditions similar to human MS to investigate further. They studied B cells, a type of immune cell responsible for producing antibodies. They did so by cutting off the B cells in the mice.

The findings were astounding. The mice stopped developing the disease after the B cells were cut off.

Several teams have begun testing B cell depletion treatments on humans, with some success. Virtually, all of the people who receive the treatment have stopped getting relapses. The people who receive it have a much lower risk of getting worse.

But researchers were still perplexed as to why the treatments work.

The researchers in a new study explained that the reason may be that when B cells are removed from the body, another subset of immune cells, called TH17 cells, are also deactivated.

These cells play a role in autoimmunity, or the immune system’s attack on its tissues.

Role of TH17 Cells in Multiple Sclerosis

TH17 cells have been linked to MS before, and researchers have been attempting to understand their role in the illness.

The current study is the first to demonstrate that they promote the development of autoantibodies, which target the myelin that safeguards nerve fibers. By doing so, they play a significant role in the autoimmune response against nerve fibers that causes MS.

The researchers observed that several treated mice had almost no CD8+ T cells or regulatory T cells. They believe this is one reason the depletion treatment doesn’t entirely cure the patients.

However, mice with virtually no TH17 cells were fully protected from MS, indicating that TH17 cells play a significant role in the disease.

The Future of Multiple Sclerosis Treatment

While B cell depletion is an effective MS treatment, it has some limitations.

It can leave patients susceptible to other infections; therefore, approved humanized anti-B-cell monoclonal antibodies are limited to the most refractory MS patients, in whom other treatments have failed.

As a result, researchers are studying new therapies designed to target TH17 cells.

Researchers have thus rendered a state of “complete remission of disease activity” in certain MS patients using a pharmaceutical developed to block interleukin-23 (IL-23), a cytokine that recruits and activates TH17 cells.

Conclusion

The finding of a new type of immune cell participating in the attack against myelin has the potential to revolutionize the treatment of multiple sclerosis.

By understanding the role that TH17 cells play in the autoimmune response against nerve fibers that causes MS, researchers may have found a promising method for concentrating MS treatments more narrowly on the root of the disease rather than dispersing their impact across the entire immune system.