Oct. 13, 2008 New research may help reveal why different parts
of the brain can come under attack in patients with multiple
sclerosis (MS). According to a new study in mice with an MS-like
disease, the brain's response to a protein produced by invading
T cells dictates whether it's the spinal cord or cerebellum that
comes under fire. The study—from researchers at the University
of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore and Washington
University in St. Louis—will be published online on October 13th
in the Journal of Experimental Medicine. In most MS patients,
the disease primarily affects the spinal cord and the white
matter of the brain. But a small percentage of patients develop
an atypical form of the disease, which primarily affects the
cerebellum—the part of the brain that controls sensory
perception and movement. For these patients, the disease tends
to progress more rapidly and the prognosis is particularly
bleak. MS ensues when the body's T cells invade the brain and
trigger nerve-damaging inflammati