Science offers clue to what causes multiple sclerosis

BRITAIN: Scientists are a step closer to finding the cause of multiple sclerosis, allowing the possibility of new treatments.

A protein has been discovered in the brains of people who have the auto-immune disorder that could help to determine why it develops, and be a target for future interventions.

About 100,000 people in the UK and about 2.5 million worldwide have multiple sclerosis (MS).

Most have it diagnosed in their 20s and 30s, and it is more common in women than men.

The disease causes the body’s immune system to attack the myelin sheaths that protect nerves in the brain and spinal cord.

This leads to brain damage, a reduction in blood supply and oxygen and the formation of lesions in the body.

The cause is unknown and symptoms can be wide-ranging, including muscle spasms, mobility problems, pain, fatigue, and problems with speech.

Scientists have long suspected that the mitochondria, the energycreating ‘‘powerhouse’’ of cells, play some part.

Using human brain tissue samples, researchers at the universities of Exeter and Alberta found that a protein called Rab32 is present in large quantities in the brains of people with MS, but is virtually absent in healthy brain cells.

Where Rab32 is present a part of the cell that stores calcium gets too close to the mitochondria, they said, and the resulting miscommunication with the calcium supply causes the mitochondria to misbehave.

Researchers do not yet know what causes an unwelcome influx of Rab32 but they believe the defect could originate at the base of the cell.

The finding will enable scientists to search for effective treatments that target Rab32 and perhaps to determine whether there are other proteins that could play a role in triggering MS.

Paul Eggleton, of the University of Exeter Medical School, said: ‘‘Multiple sclerosis can have a devastating impact people’s affecting mobility, speech, mental ability and more.

‘‘So far all medicine can offer is treatment and therapy for the symptoms. As we do not yet know the precise causes, research has on lives, been limited.

‘‘Our exciting new findings have uncovered a new avenue for researchers to explore.

‘‘It is a critical step, and in time we hope that it might lead to effective new treatments for MS,’’ Eggleton said.

David Schley, from the MS Society in Britain, said: ‘‘No-one knows for sure why people develop MS and we welcome any research that increases our understanding of how to stop it.’’ – The Times