carbar
04-27-2006, 12:03 PM
The neurons in the central nervous system (CNS) are reported to have a previously unknown ability to regulate the immune system and suppress inflammatory conditions of the CNS.
This was published by scientists at Lund University in Sweden in an article in the journal of Nature Medicine. This pioneering discovery paves the way for future therapeutic targets for inflammatory and degenerative diseases of CNS like multiple sclerosis (MS), Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s.
It is generally known that motor neurons regulate basic functions like movement, learning, and memory. But Swedish scientists are now able to show that the neurons are also capable of combating CNS inflammation.
The role of neurons in the regulation of immune response in the CNS has been neglected as brain and spinal cord are well protected against immune cells surveillance by a tight barrier and because neurons do not express molecules known to be involved in immune response.
"Now, we show that motor neurons are capable of actively regulating immune response and indeed they have a central role in prevention of CNS inflammation", says Associate Professor Shohreh Issazadeh-Navikas at Lund University.
In this report, Swedish scientists have demonstrated that neurons can transmit signals to harmful T cells (a type of white blood cells important for immune defense) in the brain. These signals cause these T cells to alter their function, transforming them from harmful to benign T cells that counteract inflammation and neuronal cell death.
http://www.innovations-report.com/html/reports/life_sciences/report-58474.html
This was published by scientists at Lund University in Sweden in an article in the journal of Nature Medicine. This pioneering discovery paves the way for future therapeutic targets for inflammatory and degenerative diseases of CNS like multiple sclerosis (MS), Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s.
It is generally known that motor neurons regulate basic functions like movement, learning, and memory. But Swedish scientists are now able to show that the neurons are also capable of combating CNS inflammation.
The role of neurons in the regulation of immune response in the CNS has been neglected as brain and spinal cord are well protected against immune cells surveillance by a tight barrier and because neurons do not express molecules known to be involved in immune response.
"Now, we show that motor neurons are capable of actively regulating immune response and indeed they have a central role in prevention of CNS inflammation", says Associate Professor Shohreh Issazadeh-Navikas at Lund University.
In this report, Swedish scientists have demonstrated that neurons can transmit signals to harmful T cells (a type of white blood cells important for immune defense) in the brain. These signals cause these T cells to alter their function, transforming them from harmful to benign T cells that counteract inflammation and neuronal cell death.
http://www.innovations-report.com/html/reports/life_sciences/report-58474.html