In a breakthrough for nanotechnology and multiple sclerosis,
a biodegradable nanoparticle turns out to be the perfect vehicle to stealthily
deliver an antigen that tricks the immune system into stopping its attack on
myelin and halt a model of relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) in mice,
according to new Northwestern Medicine research.
The new nanotechnology also can be applied to a variety of
immune-mediated diseases including Type 1 diabetes, food allergies and airway allergies
such as asthma.
In MS, the immune system attacks the myelin membrane that
insulates nerves cells in the brain, spinal cord and optic nerve. When the
insulation is destroyed, electrical signals can't be effectively conducted,
resulting in symptoms that range from mild limb numbness to paralysis or
blindness. About 80 percent of MS patients are diagnosed with the relapsing
remitting form of the disease.
journal reference (abstract free): nature biotechnology>>