Success in treating these diseases will depend upon arresting the selective neuronal death which characterizes them, or upon preventing their onset altogether. These chronic degenerative diseases are characterized by a low grade inflammation of the brain which surrounds the areas of neuronal damage. Since inflammatory mediators may be toxic to neurons, our investigators are giving major attention to defining the pathological alterations in order to identify routes for therapeutic intervention. One particular property of microglial cells is their ability to secrete a number of potentially neurotoxic products such as glutamate, inflammatory mediators, a host of free radicals, and unidentified neurotoxins. The laboratory is also investigating growth factors which may stimulate neuronal survival and extension of neuronal connections.
Examples are acidic and basic fibroblast growth factors and glial derived neurotrophic factor.
Finding methods for stimulating growth factor systems might be helpful in this disease. Multiple sclerosis is widely believed to be an autoimmune disorder although specific antigens have never been identified. We have recently identified an epitope of myelin basic protein which appears in degenerating, but not normal myelin. Since myelin basic protein is highly antigenic, epitopes which become exposed in degenerating myelin might reinforce the disease process. All rights reserved.