A new study has shown how harmful immune cells travel to the brain in people with multiple sclerosis and lead to disease progression.
The discovery has opened up the possibility of using treatments to block the autoimmune processes associated with the disease.
The disease-causing population of immune cells has been studied by Dr Hayley Evans of the University of Oxford, UK, and colleagues at the University of Hamburg, Germany.
They examined samples from deceased late stage patients and identified individual immune cells that travel to the brain using a cutting-edge technology called spatial transcriptomics.
The gene signatures of these cells were located on a detailed physical map, showing that they were localised in areas of brain damage. The action of these cells is reported in yesterday’s (16 February) issue of Med a journal by Cell Press.
Dr Hayley Evans explains: "We were able to generate high quality data, maximising the use of precious patient samples. This allowed us to reveal novel characteristics of this population, which could be used to develop new treatments that eliminate them before they enter the brain and drive disease."
The team tested a treatment called natalizumab which is known to block cell movement through the blood brain barrier. This was capable of retaining these cells in the blood, suggesting that it could become part of a new treatment for patients.
Co-author Professor Lars Fugger says: "Our results suggest that the colonisation of the brain by immune cells could be an important factor in the therapeutic resistance of late-stage multiple sclerosis.
"At the same time, we demonstrate that these cells can be mobilised to the blood at an early disease stage, raising the possibility that they could be reached by novel therapeutics."
Evans, H. et al. Identifying CNS-colonizing T cells as potential therapeutic targets for progressive multiple sclerosis. Med 16 February 2021; doi: 10.1016/j.medj.2021.01.006
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