Scientists at the Catholic University of Romeannounced Saturday (Feb. 27) that they may have identified a possible onset mechanism for Multiple Sclerosis by triggering the disease in mice.
The research by Francesco Ria at theInstitute of General Pathology and Giovanni Delogu at the Institute of Microbiology shows that they could use a non-pathogenic bacterium to cause an autoimmune disease similar to Multiple Sclerosis.
The disease was triggered in a mouse that is often used to substitute for a human model.
The research was detailed in the Journal of Immunology. Two major theories about how Multiple Sclerosis attacks the human body include: a virus hiding in the brain that causes the antiviral action, and that a virus silmiar to molecules in the central nervous system causes inflammation that ignites a reaction to the immmune system, causing the body to attack itself.
Francesco Ria, the immunologist conducting the study was quoted as saying: "We do not know what causes Multiple Sclerosis. We know that there exist a genetic factor and an environmental factor, but we do not yet posses a satisfactory theory which can explain how exactly this environmental factor works."
Source: Examiner.com
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