A Viral Role in Multiple Sclerosis 

 

 

 

On the left we see a striking red stain within the brain cells known as astrocytes within the acute inflammation of MS.  The red stain is the expression of a viral gene, known as a HERV-W env.  This appears to cause the astrocyte to make a poison that kills the cells on the right, the oligodendrocyes, that lay down the protective sheath around the nerves called myelin.  This appears to be playing an important part in the inflammation that causes multiple sclerosis.  More work needs to be done on this important observation, which may, in time, help to explain the pathology of the disease and help with treatment and management.

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 Astrocyte picture through kind courtesy of Giuseppe Mameli