Recent Comments

    multiple sclerosis tagged posts

    Missing Link in Epigenetics could explain Conundrum of Disease Inheritance

    July 8, 2016, Categories  Biology/Biotechnology, Health/Medical

    Simvastatin acts as a stopper, plugging the adhesion molecules in the immune system.

    Simvastatin acts as a stopper, plugging the adhesion molecules in the immune system.

    Simvastatin, which is one of the most commonly used pharmaceuticals in the world, also has a beneficial effect on the immune defense system with regard to diseases such as type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. Danish researchers have now explored why this is so, and their findings may result in improved treatment.

    In the case of multiple sclerosis, the immune defense system destroys the central nervous system, while the inflammation affects the kidneys, eyes and sense of touch in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, leading to a variety of complications...

    Read More

    Exploring the Gut-Brain Connection for Insights into Multiple Sclerosis

    May 9, 2016, Categories  Biology/Biotechnology, Health/Medical

    Immunofluorescence imaging of human brain tissue generated from an active lesion from an individual with multiple sclerosis shows astrocytes (blue), the Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (red) and the phosphorylated Signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (green). Credit: Image courtesy of Jorge Ivan Alvarez, Assistant Professor at the Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

    Immunofluorescence imaging of human brain tissue generated from an active lesion from an individual with multiple sclerosis shows astrocytes (blue), the Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (red) and the phosphorylated Signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (green). Credit: Image courtesy of Jorge Ivan Alvarez, Assistant Professor at the Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

    Bacteria living in the gut may remotely influence the activity of cells in the brain that are involved in controlling inflammation and neurodegeneration...

    Read More

    Multiple Sclerosis: Plant Peptide could Prevent Onset of the disease

    March 29, 2016, Categories  Biology/Biotechnology, Health/Medical

    Synthesis of cyclotides. Cyclotides were assembled as linear precursors using FMOC chemistry, and cyclized using native chemical ligation. (1) Dawson’s resin containing di-Fmoc-3,4-diaminobenzoic acid (Dbz) as linker is the starting point. (2) Couplings are performed using microwave-assisted FMOC synthesis (asterisk marks the first amino acid; the last amino acid is a BOC-protected cysteine). (3) Acylation and activation of the resin bound Dbz-precursor to yield the N-acylurea peptide (Nbz-peptide). (4) Full deprotection and resin cleavage of the Nbz-peptide in one step (Ar, Aryl). Peptide cyclization (5a) via thioesterification, (5b) S, N-intramolecular acyl shift and native chemical ligation and (5c) oxidative folding to yield cyclotides with the native fold. Ribbon representation of a cyclotide (kalata B1, PDB ID code 1NB1) and sequence of [T20K]kalata B1 are shown. Cysteines, disulfide bonds (yellow), and intercysteine loops are indicated.

    Synthesis of cyclotides. Cyclotides were assembled as linear precursors using FMOC chemistry, and cyclized using native chemical ligation. (1) Dawson’s resin containing di-Fmoc-3,4-diaminobenzoic acid (Dbz) as linker is the starting point. (2) Couplings are performed using microwave-assisted FMOC synthesis (asterisk marks the first amino acid; the last amino acid is a BOC-protected cysteine). (3) Acylation and activation of the resin bound Dbz-precursor to yield the N-acylurea peptide (Nbz-peptide). (4) Full deprotection and resin cleavage of the Nbz-peptide in one step (Ar, Aryl). Peptide cyclization (5a) via thioesterification, (5b) S, N-intramolecular acyl shift and native chemical ligation and (5c) oxidative folding to yield cyclotides with the native fold...

    Read More

    Taking Vitamin D may benefit people with Multiple Sclerosis

    January 2, 2016, Categories  Biology/Biotechnology, Health/Medical

    multiple sclerosis

    Demyelination by MS. The CD68 colored tissue shows several macrophages in the area of the lesion. Original scale 1:100. Credit: Marvin 101/Wikipedia

    Taking a high dose of vitamin D3 is safe for people with multiple sclerosis and may help regulate the body’s hyperactive immune response, according to a pilot study published by Johns Hopkins physicians. “These results are exciting, as vitamin D has the potential to be an inexpensive, safe and convenient treatment for people with MS,” says study author Peter Calabresi, M.D. Low levels of vitamin D in the blood are tied to an increased risk of developing MS. People who have MS and low levels of vitamin D are more likely to have greater disability and more disease activity.

    For the study, 40 people with relapsing-remitting MS received either 10,...

    Read More