‘Bad’ White Blood Cells Responsible for Multiple Sclerosis

Researchers have identified a type of ‘bad’ white blood cells that are responsible for abnormal immune responses in patients of multiple sclerosis. (Representational Image)

TORONTO, CANADA:  Researchers have identified a type of ‘bad’ white blood cells that are responsible for abnormal immune responses in patients of multiple sclerosis, which could help find new treatments for the disease.Multiple sclerosis (MS) is considered to be a disease controlled by the T cell, a type of white blood cell.Research has shown that in MS, T cells inappropriately attack myelin, the protective layer of fat covering nerves in the central nervous system, exposing them to damage.

Emerging studies have also discovered that B cells, another type of white blood cells that had previously been overlooked in MS, are significant contributors to the disease.Recent clinical trials showed that B cell depletion Therapy (BCDT) in people with relapsing-remitting MS led to dramatic decreases in new disease activity.But how B cells contribute to the disease and the molecular mechanisms involved in the benefit of BCDT has not been fully elucidated.The new study by researchers of the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital of McGill University provides groundbreaking insight into the role of B cells and their interaction with other immune cells in the context of MS.

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