FRIDAY, May 12, 2006 (HealthDay News) -- Blocking a chemical signal called interferon-gamma helped prevent harm to cells that surround and protect nerves in mice, researchers report.
The approach could lead to new treatments for diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS).
In previous studies, the researchers demonstrated that interferon-gamma -- which activates the immune system -- damages and kills cells called oligodendrocytes that produce myelin, the protective coating that surrounds nerves.
"Interferon-gamma is not normally found in the nervous system, but it can gain entry after an inflammatory flare-up. We previously showed how it harmed oligodendrocytes. Here we confirm its direct harmful effects on those cells and demonstrate one way of protecting them," research leader Brian Popko, a professor of neurological diseases at the University of Chicago, said in a prepared statement.
In research with mice, Popko and his team found that a gene called SOCS1 (suppressor of cytokine signaling 1) blocked the response of oligodendrocytes to interferon-gamma and greatly reduced damage and destruction of those myelin-producing cells.
"We found this tremendously encouraging. SOCS1 prevented or reduced the harmful effects of interferon-gamma on myelin-producing cells. This study solidifies our suspicions about interferon's specific role in demyelinating disease and suggests ways to block it," Popko said.
The study appeared in the May 10 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience.
More information
The American Medical Association has more about multiple sclerosis.
