Demyelinating disease: evolution of a paradigm

Sub-Nanosecond Dynamics of Pathologically Relevant Bio-Macromolecules Observed by Incoherent Neutron Scattering

Incoherent neutron scattering (iNS) is one of the most powerful techniques to study the dynamical behavior of bio-macromolecules such as proteins and lipid molecules or whole cells. This technique has widely been used to elucidate the fundamental aspects of molecular motions that manifest in the bio-macromolecules in relation to their intrinsic molecular properties and biological functions. Furthermore, in the last decade, iNS studies focusing on a possible relationship between molecular dynamics and biological malfunctions, i.e., human diseases and disorders, have gained importance. In this review, we summarize recent iNS studies on pathologically relevant proteins and lipids and discuss how the findings are of importance to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of human diseases and disorders that each study targets. Since some diseases such as amyloidosis have become more relevant in the aging society, research in this field will continue to develop further and be more important in the current increasing trend for longevity worldwide.

The Neuroimmunology of Multiple Sclerosis: Fictions and Facts

There have been tremendous advances in the neuroimmunology of multiple sclerosis over the past five decades, which have led to improved diagnosis and therapy in the clinic. However, further advances must take into account an understanding of some of the complex issues in the field, particularly an appreciation of "facts" and "fiction." Not surprisingly given the incredible complexity of both the nervous and immune systems, our understanding of the basic biology of the disease is very incomplete. This lack of understanding has led to many controversies in the field. This review identifies some of these controversies and facts/fictions with relation to the basic neuroimmunology of the disease (cells and molecules), and important clinical issues. Fortunately, the field is in a healthy transition from excessive reliance on animal models to a broader understanding of the disease in humans, which will likely lead to many improved treatments especially of the neurodegeneration in multiple sclerosis (MS).

Making the White Matter Matters: Progress in Understanding Canavan's Disease and Therapeutic Interventions Through Eight Decades

Canavan's disease (CD) is a fatal autosomal recessive pediatric leukodystrophy in which patients show severe neurodegeneration and typically die by the age of 10, though life expectancy in patients can be highly variable. Currently, there is no effective treatment for CD; however, gene therapy seems to be a feasible approach to combat the disease. Being a monogenic defect, the disease provides an excellent model system to develop gene therapy approaches that can be extended to other monogenic leukodystrophies and neurodegenerative diseases. CD results from mutations in a single gene aspartoacylase which hydrolyses N-acetyl aspartic acid (NAA) which accumulates in its absences. Since CD is one of the few diseases that show high NAA levels, it can also be used to study the enigmatic biological role of NAA. The disease was first described in 1931, and this review traces the progress made in the past 8 decades to understand the disease by enumerating current hypotheses and ongoing palliative measures to alleviate patient symptoms in the context of the latest advances in the field.

Animal models of multiple sclerosis: the good, the bad and the bottom line

Multiple sclerosis is a debilitating inflammatory demyelinating disease of the CNS. In this perspective, the author examines the strengths and weaknesses of the numerous animal models that are currently being used to analyze the pathogenesis of this disease with an eye toward the precise pathological aspect that each model recapitulates.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a spontaneous, acquired, inflammatory demyelinating disease of the human CNS. Because it involves a complex interaction between two of the most intricate biological systems, immune system and CNS, animal modeling has been critical for addressing MS pathogenesis. MS models were originally developed serendipitously more than 75 years ago. Immune-mediated, toxic, viral and genetic models of demyelination are now used to understand the manifold aspects of MS. MS treatments evolved in part from animal model research, and further progress is envisaged in large part because these systems have been continually refined and their use focused on questions whose relevance was established by studying the human disease.

Experimental models of multiple sclerosis

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the central nervous system of unknown cause. There are many medications available for the disease, but none are clearly effective in ameliorating its long-term disabling effects. MS is felt to be most likely either due to an aberrant immune response or a pathogen, or possibly a combination of the two, and the animal models available reflect these two possible pathogeneses. The hallmarks of the disease are demyelination, inflammation, axonal injury, and progressive disability. This review explores the experimental models of multiple sclerosis.

RECENT FINDINGS

There are a variety of forms of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis, the most commonly studied animal model of MS. Two viruses, Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus and murine hepatitis virus, are used to induce infectious models of the disease.

SUMMARY

The animal models have their advantages and disadvantages, but no model fully reproduces the spectrum of the human disease.

Chemokine receptor antagonism as a new therapy for multiple sclerosis

New information about the role of tissue inflammation in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS) has driven a search for effective and specific therapeutics that address leukocyte trafficking. These developments in understanding MS are complemented by advances in clarifying the molecular mechanisms of leukocyte extravasation and providing the knowledge base needed to modulate tissue inflammation. Of particular interest are the chemokines and their receptors. Chemokines constitute a large family of chemoattractant peptides that regulate the vast spectrum of leukocyte migration events. This review discusses MS and proposes that identifying the chemokines and receptors involved in the inflammation associated with this disorder may lead to therapeutic intervention.