Studying inflammation in multiple sclerosis

Nearly three million people worldwide suffer from multiple sclerosis (MS). The disease is a result of an auto-immune response that involves immune cells attacking a patient’s own brain cells, leading to symptoms that include vision loss, decreased muscle strength and sensory issues. Relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) is the most common form of MS, whereby patients have flare-ups followed by periods of remission. While there are multiple effective therapies to treat inflammation and prevent new flare-ups, a new study explores a potential way to halt on-going nerve damage.

Silva Markovic-Plese, MD, PhD and her team at Thomas Jefferson University have been studying RRMS for more than a decade. In a previous study, they noticed elevated levels of an immune chemical called, IL-11, in the cerebrospinal fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord of RRMS patients. They wanted to explore why.

IL-11 is a cytokine that causes the blood cell growth. In the current study, researchers found that IL-11 also mediates migration of inflammatory cells to the brain – this contributes to disease progression of RRMS. They then hypothesized that blocking IL-11 could decrease symptoms associated with RRMS. They used an antibody to reduce the IL-11 levels in mice and found that this reduced disease severity. Specifically, treated mice had lower levels of multiple inflammatory markers and decreased disease progression compared to controls.

Although this study is still in the pre-clinical stages, Dr. Markovic-Plese says, “blocking IL-11 could possibly prevent disease development by blocking the early inflammatory response.” The therapeutic approaches Dr. Markovic-Plese’s lab tested are currently in phase I clinical trials for pulmonary fibrosis, a disease caused by autoimmune responses like those found in MS. If future studies on the neuroprotective effect of IL-11 antibodies continue to show promise, this treatment could be available for MS patients in the near future.

By Moriah Cunningham