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Research has shown that new information about the types of cells found in the brains of people with multiple sclerosis could help develop better therapies.
The study is focused on brain cells that help repair damage to nerve cells by the disease.
The researchers identified different types of these cells, called oligodendrocytes. The study found that people with MS had different types of oligodendrocytes than healthy people.
The findings could shed new light on the evolution of the disease and could also help scientists develop treatments.
Experts from the University of Edinburgh and the Karolinska Institute in Sweden badyzed post-mortem brain samples from five people without neurological disease and four people with the most advanced form multiple sclerosis, called progressive MS.
In collaboration with researchers from health care company Hoffmann-La Roche, the team used an advanced genetic badysis technique called Single RNA Nuclear Seq.
This technique provides a snapshot of all the genes that have been activated in a single cell of the brain, thus providing insight into how each cell works.
By doing this on thousands of brain cells, the approach builds a detailed picture of all the types of cells present in that person's brain.
The researchers found that there are several types of oligodendrocytes and that the ratio of these cells in people with MS differs from that of healthy people.
These differences suggest that oligodendrocytes function differently in the brains of people with MS, which could be essential to understanding the evolution of the disease, say the researchers.
MS occurs when the protective sheath surrounding the nerve cells – called myelin – is damaged. This means that nerve cells can not transmit signals as efficiently around the body. This also leaves the nerve cells vulnerable to damage and eventually the nerves may die.
Oligodendrocytes are found in the brain and spinal cord, where they repair damaged myelin. In people with MS, this process does not work as well as in healthy people.
Many treatments under development for MS are designed to target oligodendrocytes in the hope of improving myelin repair.
Studies in mice had previously identified several types of oligodendrocytes in the mouse brain, suggesting that their functions were slightly different. This study is the first to show that individuals also have several types of oligodendrocytes in the brain.
The researchers explain that the differences between the types of oligodendrocytes found in people with MS could explain why their myelin repair process is not working as well.
The study also revealed that people had and different types of oligodendrocytes than mice. The results suggest that the cells may function differently in each species. This could have important implications for how the results of MS studies in mice are interpreted.
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic disease that causes balance problems, fatigue and progressive disability. About 2.5 million people live with this disease worldwide. There is currently no treatment for the progressive form of the disease.
The study, published in Nature, was funded by the UK Society, the European Union and the European Research Council. The European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis and the Wellcome Trust also funded the research, among others.
Professor Charles Ffrench-Constant, of the Center for Regenerative Medicine of the Medical Research Council of the University of Edinburgh, said: "We have found that oligodendrocytes constitute a diverse cell population and that different types probably have different functions in the brain. "
Professor Anna Williams, of the Center for Regenerative Medicine of the Medical Research Council of the University of Edinburgh, said: "Understanding which types of oligodendrocytes are most beneficial for the repair of myelin will be essential to maximize the chances of developing essential treatments for MS. "
Associate Professor Gonçalo Castelo-Branco, of the Karolinska Institute, said: "Our findings highlight the power of this technology to study the mechanisms of human diseases such as MS. 39 widespread use of this technology with a greater number of samples improve our understanding of MS. "
Susan Kohlhaas, Director of Research at the MS Society, said, "More than 100,000 Britons have multiple sclerosis and many of them still have no effective treatment. Progressive forms of MS need new options to repair the damage caused by myelin and stop progression.
"We think that one day we can stop MS and that projects like this will help accomplish this more quickly."
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