A team of scientists reports it has discovered a protein that plays a pivotal role in the inflammatory process in the body, suggesting it may be a major player in the processes leading to the development of multiple sclerosis.1
What does that mean to you? Learning about this protein could be the initial step toward developing a better treatment for MS someday, using the compound or knowledge about its existence in some fashion.
Inflammatory Pathology
Inflammation is the core essence of MS. While the exact cause of the disease isn't known, medical experts believe its origins lie in an immune system that's gone awry, abnormally directing antibodies and white blood cells against proteins in myelin (MYE-uh-lin). That's a fatty substance that sheaths nerve endings in the brain and spinal cord, while also helping them communicate with each other. When myelin is attacked, inflammation and injury result. Damage to the nerve endings also occurs, manifested as the typical symptoms seen in multiple sclerosis.2
Beneficial Protein?
In their studies, doctors at the University of California at San Diego and Imperial College in London have been scrutinizing the activity of a protein known as IKK alpha (IKKa). In both lab experiments and in studies using mice, the experts have discovered that this unique protein inhibits the inflammation that occurs following the abnormal immune response—not only in MS, but also in autoimmune illnesses like rheumatoid arthritis or lupus.
For instance, "inactivation of IKKa in mice enhances inflammation and bacterial clearance," wrote Dr. Toby Lawrence, a rheumatologist at Imperial College, and his colleagues. By inhibiting the activity of the protein in the animals, the researchers were able to increase the body's ability to fight off infection, but also found that it boosted the inflammation response. Doing the opposite—turning on IKKa—blocked activation of immune cells and inhibited inflammation.
Blocking Inflammation May be New Strategy
"Although this is only a first step, the discovery could also help arthritis sufferers," said Lawrence. "By increasing IKKa activity, we may be able to stop inflammation, and possibly develop a new treatment."
In their mouse studies, Lawrence and his team investigated the role of the protein by comparing animals with defective IKKa to those with normal levels of the protein. They then induced a bacterial infection in the animals to see how inflammation and the immune response developed.
In the mice without IKKa, the investigators found significantly increased immune attacks on the bacteria, but found that inflammation levels were higher than those in the normal mice. This result led the team to assume that IKKa was a stop signal to limit the inflammatory response.
"The identification of this 'double-edged sword' could be of huge importance in how we deal with a number of major health issues," Lawrence explained.
1. Lawrence T, Bebien M, Liu GY, Nizet V, Karin M. IKKalpha limits macrophage NF-kappaB activation and contributes to the resolution of inflammation. Nature 2005 Apr 28;434(7037):1138-43.
2. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Available at: http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?id=DS00188. Accessed June 10, 2005.
John Martin is a long-time health journalist and an editor for Priority Healthcare. His credits include overseeing health news coverage for the website of Fox Television's The Health Network, and articles for the New York Post and other consumer and trade publications.
