Does Multiple Sclerosis Reduce Risk of Developing Dementia?
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic illness of the central nervous system that affects an individual’s immune system, causing it to attack the body by mistake. On the other hand, Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative illness that affects an individual’s memory as well as cognitive function.
Now, a new study has found that patients with multiple sclerosis are less likely to present with molecular signs of Alzheimer’s, suggesting a protective component that could help develop new treatments.
The study was carried out by researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. It was based on an idea of Dr. Anne Cross, who had observed that her patients with multiple sclerosis who were at risk of Alzheimer’s or had a family history of the progressive illness weren’t developing Alzheimer’s.
Cross explained that she hadn’t found any multiple sclerosis patient who suffered from typical Alzheimer’s, noting that any cognitive issues the patients presented with wouldn’t be attributed to Alzheimer’s, even after evaluations for the progressive illness. Cognitive impairment caused by multiple sclerosis may sometimes be confused with Alzheimer’s symptoms. The neurodegenerative disease’s presence is usually confirmed with various biological tests.
The researchers focused on confirming Cross’ observation, using the PrecivityAD2 blood test to determine if amyloid plaques were present in the patient’s brains. For their study, they recruited 100 patients with multiple sclerosis. Each patient took the blood test, with 11 of them also undergoing PET scans. The researchers compared the results to those of a control group comprised of 300 individuals similar to patients with multiple sclerosis in genetic risk for Alzheimer’s, cognitive decline and age.
The researchers determined that patients with multiple sclerosis had 50% less accumulation of amyloid plaque in comparison to individuals without the chronic illness. Amyloid plaque is a key indicator of Alzheimer’s disease. This supported Cross’ observation that Alzheimer’s was less likely to develop among patients with multiple sclerosis. This link between decreased risk of Alzheimer’s and multiple sclerosis calls attention to possible immune-related mechanisms that may be exploited for therapeutic strategies.
The first author of the study, assistant professor Matthew Brier, explained that the team’s findings suggested that by identifying what aspect of multiple sclerosis was protective against Alzheimer’s, the group could inform new treatments for the neurodegenerative illness. Cross and Brier have advanced to the next stage in their research, focused on testing the development of amyloid plaque in animal models representing multiple sclerosis and finding possible human genetics involved.
The study’s findings were reported in the “Annals of Neurology.”
As enterprises such as Clene Inc. (NASDAQ: CLNN) continue with their focus on finding more effective treatments for MS, it is likely that they could discover other connections that this disease has with other neurodegenerative ailments such as Alzheimer’s disease. Those connections could yield new approaches in the treatment of those diseases.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Clene Inc. (NASDAQ: CLNN) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/CLNN
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the BioMedWire website applicable to all content provided by BMW, wherever published or re-published: http://BMW.fm/Disclaimer
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic illness of the central nervous system that affects an individual’s immune system, causing it to attack the body by mistake. On the other hand, Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative illness that affects an individual’s memory as well as cognitive function.
Now, a new study has found that patients with multiple sclerosis are less likely to present with molecular signs of Alzheimer’s, suggesting a protective component that could help develop new treatments.
The study was carried out by researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. It was based on an idea of Dr. Anne Cross, who had observed that her patients with multiple sclerosis who were at risk of Alzheimer’s or had a family history of the progressive illness weren’t developing Alzheimer’s.
Cross explained that she hadn’t found any multiple sclerosis patient who suffered from typical Alzheimer’s, noting that any cognitive issues the patients presented with wouldn’t be attributed to Alzheimer’s, even after evaluations for the progressive illness. Cognitive impairment caused by multiple sclerosis may sometimes be confused with Alzheimer’s symptoms. The neurodegenerative disease’s presence is usually confirmed with various biological tests.
The researchers focused on confirming Cross’ observation, using the PrecivityAD2 blood test to determine if amyloid plaques were present in the patient’s brains. For their study, they recruited 100 patients with multiple sclerosis. Each patient took the blood test, with 11 of them also undergoing PET scans. The researchers compared the results to those of a control group comprised of 300 individuals similar to patients with multiple sclerosis in genetic risk for Alzheimer’s, cognitive decline and age.
The researchers determined that patients with multiple sclerosis had 50% less accumulation of amyloid plaque in comparison to individuals without the chronic illness. Amyloid plaque is a key indicator of Alzheimer’s disease. This supported Cross’ observation that Alzheimer’s was less likely to develop among patients with multiple sclerosis. This link between decreased risk of Alzheimer’s and multiple sclerosis calls attention to possible immune-related mechanisms that may be exploited for therapeutic strategies.
The first author of the study, assistant professor Matthew Brier, explained that the team’s findings suggested that by identifying what aspect of multiple sclerosis was protective against Alzheimer’s, the group could inform new treatments for the neurodegenerative illness. Cross and Brier have advanced to the next stage in their research, focused on testing the development of amyloid plaque in animal models representing multiple sclerosis and finding possible human genetics involved.
The study’s findings were reported in the “Annals of Neurology.”
As enterprises such as Clene Inc. (NASDAQ: CLNN) continue with their focus on finding more effective treatments for MS, it is likely that they could discover other connections that this disease has with other neurodegenerative ailments such as Alzheimer’s disease. Those connections could yield new approaches in the treatment of those diseases.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Clene Inc. (NASDAQ: CLNN) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/CLNN
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the BioMedWire website applicable to all content provided by BMW, wherever published or re-published: http://BMW.fm/Disclaimer
