How This Protein Can Inhibit Multiple Sclerosis Inflammation
They also show promise for MS
To push the findings of the uveitis study further, researchers in a separate study tested the IL-12p35 subunit on a population of mice with multiple sclerosis. The hope was that in treating mice with multiple sclerosis, the subunit of IL-35 could be shown to have applications to all forms of autoimmune disorders. Such results would lead to further development of therapies to treat and possibly even reverse the symptoms of autoimmune disorders.
In untreated mice who are introduced to the model of multiple sclerosis, the immune cells attack and penetrate the brain and spinal cord, causing severe inflammation and permanent damage. After only a few days, mice can be paralyzed in all limbs, and unable to control their tails. Though the symptoms take a lifetime to progress in humans, the end results are similar, and permanent damage can lead to immobility and paralysis.
The IL-12p35 subunit treatment was delivered every other day for 12 days, and mice were monitored for b-cell count and inflammation to the brain and spinal cord, regions most commonly affected by multiple sclerosis. After the 12-day mark, the mice showed marked improvement in symptoms, and a greater proliferation of b-cells that counteracted inflammation, just like the mice in the uveitis study.
