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"While we're still in the early stages of this research, it could eventually lead to the development of useful therapies that stimulate or inhibit these genetic pathways in patients with MS."
Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease, which attacks the central nervous system. Previous research has shown that some of this damage can be repaired by the body even without therapeutic intervention.
Bieber's team studied mice with a chronic, progressive MS-like disease and mapped the genes of those which spontaneously repaired the damage to the central nervous system and retained most neurological function.
They found two strong genetic determinants of this good disease outcome.
"The genetic data indicates that good central nervous system repair results from stimulation of one genetic pathway and inhibition of another genetic pathway," Bieber said in a statement.
The results suggest that there may be a small number of strong genetic determinants for why some people are able to repair the damage rather than a larger number of weak determinants.
"If that's true, it may be possible to map the most important genetic determinants of central nervous system repair in patients with MS and define a reparative genotype that could predict patients' outcomes," said Moses Rodriguez a MS expert at the Mayo Clinic.
"Such a diagnostic tool would be a great benefit to patients with MS and is consistent with the concepts of 'individualized medicine.'"
The paper was presented at the Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis in Dusseldorf, Germany.
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Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease, which attacks the central nervous system. Previous research has shown that some of this damage can be repaired by the body even without therapeutic intervention.
Bieber's team studied mice with a chronic, progressive MS-like disease and mapped the genes of those which spontaneously repaired the damage to the central nervous system and retained most neurological function.
They found two strong genetic determinants of this good disease outcome.
"The genetic data indicates that good central nervous system repair results from stimulation of one genetic pathway and inhibition of another genetic pathway," Bieber said in a statement.
The results suggest that there may be a small number of strong genetic determinants for why some people are able to repair the damage rather than a larger number of weak determinants.
"If that's true, it may be possible to map the most important genetic determinants of central nervous system repair in patients with MS and define a reparative genotype that could predict patients' outcomes," said Moses Rodriguez a MS expert at the Mayo Clinic.
"Such a diagnostic tool would be a great benefit to patients with MS and is consistent with the concepts of 'individualized medicine.'"
The paper was presented at the Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis in Dusseldorf, Germany.
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