In multiple sclerosis (MS), the immune cells that patrol our blood for pathogens venture out of the bloodstream and attack the brain. Researchers have found that leakage of a blood-clotting protein into the brain, once considered merely a sign of damage in the MS brain, helps stimulate this attack. In experiments on mice, the researchers were able to block the protein’s effect on immune cells – and reduce the clinical signs of MS – without affecting the protein’s vital role in blood clotting. Their findings appear in the Journal of Experimental Medicine,* and offer hope for new therapies against MS, the most common disabling neurological disorder of young adults. >>> Discuss This Story
