Inflammation identified as a potential cause of multiple sclerosis progression

Medical Xpress / University of Melbourne / Nature Neuroscience ^ | March 4, 2025 | Allan Motyer et al

[ConservativeMind]

For the first time, researchers have identified that inflammation—long associated with multiple sclerosis (MS)—appears to cause increased mutations linked to MS progression.

MS is a progressive neurological disease that affects 33,000 Australians and three million people worldwide. About one-third of people living with MS have progressive disease, which current treatments do not address effectively.

The researchers studied MS brain lesions, visible as spots on MRI scans, which are areas of past or ongoing brain inflammation. They found neurons located in MS brain lesions have a mutation rate that is two-and-a-half times faster than in normal neurons.

Associate Professor Rubio said, "Our research suggests that inflammation in the brain of people with MS causes mutations in neurons, which may contribute to progression."

The team focused on somatic mutations, which are not inherited, but occur over time in cells during aging. Mutations can disrupt a cell's normal function or survival.

The researchers compared mutations in neurons from the brains of 10 people with MS and 16 people without MS. They found that neurons in non-lesion areas and the brains of people without MS accumulated 17.7 mutations per year, while neurons in MS lesions accumulated 43.9 mutations per year.

"This means that by age 70, neurons in MS lesions have around 1,300 more mutations than normal neurons," Associate Professor Rubio said.

"Not only did we find there are more mutations in MS lesions, but they are also of different types to those seen in normal aging, indicating a distinct molecular process causes mutations in MS," Dr. Motyer said.

Associate Professor Rubio and team are working to build on this important finding and investigate new treatment avenues for progressive MS.

[ConservativeMind]

Inflammation in the brain appears to help drive MS by encouraging mutations.

In general, inflammation elsewhere in our bodies also encourages cells to mutate more, helping to cause cancer and other health issues.

Inappropriate inflammation is never good.

[ConservativeMind]

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[kawhill]

“MS is a progressive neurological disease that affects 33,000 Australians and three million people worldwide”. Good, glad the disease is being studied, SIL has it. Where is American medicine at on this?

[Uncle Miltie]

I’m on about 10 anti-inflammatories that are also anti-oxidants. My brain usually feels better.

[Jane Long]

Have a friend with MS ... do you mind sharing your antinflamitory antioxidants?

I keep recommending for her to get her gut microbes built up ... to take good pre and probiotics.

[Uncle Miltie]

Quercetin + Vitamin C
Green Tea Extract (EGCG)
Turmeric
D3
Berberine
Ginkgo Biloba
Grape Seed Extract ( or resveratrol if you can afford it)
NAC ( N-Acetyl-Cysteine)
Spirulina
Fish Oil
Turkey Tail Mushroom extract

[Uncle Miltie]

My best friend just went to see his oncologist who greatly approved of this regimen, but said to triple down on the Turmeric.

[Uncle Miltie]

I think these are all simultaneously:

Anti-inflammatory (surely)
anti-oxidant (surely)
Immune system boosters (probably)
Anti-cancer (maybe)