Can something in the cerebrospinal fluid cause nerve cells to die in progressive MS?

As part of its natural defence system, the body can add special tags to infections or unhealthy cells. These tags tell certain immune cells to destroy what is tagged. The researchers have already shown people with MS have an increased number of these special tags in their cerebrospinal fluid. This fluid surrounds the brain and spinal cord.

About the project

This project will look at how the special tags affect the immune cells in MS. And how this might lead to nerve cell death. The team think the tags cause certain immune cells to release molecules. These molecules are toxic to nerve cells. This would destroy the nerve cells, leading to the damage seen in MS.

The team will find the tags in spinal cord tissue. This is generously donated by people with MS after their death. Next, the team will use a special microscopic laser to cut out the nearby immune cells. They’ll investigate if the cells are different when they’re closer to the tags.

They’ll especially look to see what the immune cells are releasing. They’ll investigate whether any of the released molecules are known to be toxic to nerve cells. This is the first time researchers have looked at a potential link between molecules in the cerebrospinal fluid and nerve cell death in the spinal cord.

How will it help people with MS?

The team hope to identify molecules in the cerebrospinal fluid which are released by immune cells. This will help them understand better why nerve cells die. In the future, treatments could be developed to destroy these molecules. This could reduce the damage to nerve cells.