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Sydney: Nano particles
could prevent the immune system from attack of multiple sclerosis
(MS), a debilitating nerve disease diagnosed between 20 and 40
years, according to a finding.
MS affects any area of the brain, optic nerve, and spinal cord,
damaging the myelin sheath, which protects the nerve cells,
slowing down or halting exchange of nerve signals. The symptoms
vary from mild limb numbness to paralysis and blindness.
"This finding (based on mice models) could potentially be used to
halt auto-immune diseases, such as Type 1 diabetes and rheumatoid
arthritis, and immune-mediated diseases, such as food allergy and
asthma," said Nicholas King, professor at the University of Sydney
Medical School, the journal Nature Biotechnology reported.
"We still have many experiments to do to confirm this but our
research is a genuine coup which promises to make an impact on a
range of illnesses," said King, who co-authored the study with
Stephen Miller, professor at Northwestern University, US,
according to a Sydney statement.
Daniel Getts from Northwestern who led the study was formerly
King's doctoral student at the University of Sydney.
"Till date immuno-suppressant therapy to control MS has had
varying success but has always been a double-edged sword," said
King.
"When you suppress the immune system you remove the ability of the
body to fight off infectious organisms and destroy emerging
cancers," added King.
The researchers injected small myelin proteins attached to tiny
particles, just 500 nanometres across, into the bloodstream of
mice. The particles travel to the spleen where they are taken up
by cells called macrophages.
Once taken up by the macrophages, the ultimate effect of these
tiny particles is to suppress the immune response to the myelin
proteins directly.
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