- Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic condition affecting the central nervous system.
- Symptoms, including muscle weakness and vision problems, occur when the immune system attacks the outer coating of nerve cells.
- Scientists do not know the exact cause of MS but suspect that multiple factors contribute to its occurrence.
- Now, a study has found that a toxin from a common gut bacterium may trigger MS in people with a genetic susceptibility.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic condition of the nervous system. It most commonly affects young adults between the ages of 20 and 40 and is more often seen in women than men.
According to the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation (MSIF), some 2.8 million people worldwide are living with MS, and
In this autoimmune disorder, a person’s immune system attacks the
- muscle weakness
- numbness and tingling
- bladder and bowel problems
- vision problems
- fatigue
- dizziness and vertigo
- muscle spasms and pain.
The most common form of MS, relapsing-remitting MS, which causes 85% of cases, is characterized by episodes of new or increasing symptoms, and periods, where symptoms lessen or, disappear.
The exact cause is still unknown, but scientists believe that genetic susceptibility and environmental factors may contribute to the onset of the condition.
“There are many mysteries to MS. Why do some people get MS and others don’t, despite similar or identical genetics? What accounts for the episodic nature of relapses and remissions? How is the central nervous system targeted and why myelin specifically?,” co-senior author Dr. Timothy Vartanian, a professor of neuroscience in the Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute at Weill Cornell Medicine, said.
Now, research led by scientists from the Brain and…
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