Fatty layers of tissue known as myelin sheaths insulate neural wires, but these sheaths are damaged in multiple sclerosis. (Image credit: Steve Gschmeissner/Science Photo Library/Brand X Pictures via Getty Images)
Multiple sclerosis is a disease that occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks the brain and spinal cord. The disease affects about one million people in the United States and more than 2.8 million worldwide. Although genetic factors play a role in predisposition to multiple sclerosis, the environment, including diet, infectious diseases, and gut health, also play a significant role.
The environment has a significant impact on the likelihood of developing MS, as confirmed by twin studies. In identical twins, who share 100% of their genes, one twin has about a 25% chance of developing MS if the other twin has the disease. For fraternal twins, who share 50% of their genes, this risk drops to about 2%.
Scientists have long suggested that gut bacteria may influence a person's risk of developing multiple sclerosis. However, studies have so far yielded conflicting results.
To address these discrepancies, my colleagues and I took what's known as a “bedside-to-bench, bedside-to-bedside” approach: starting with samples from MS patients, conducting lab experiments on those samples, and then confirming our findings in patients.
In our recent study, we found that the ratio of two bacteria in the gut can predict the severity of MS in patients, highlighting the importance of the microbiome and gut health in this disease.
Akkermansia is commonly found in the human gut microbiome. From bedside to bench
We initially analyzed the chemical and bacterial composition of the gut of patients with MS, confirming that they have gut inflammation and different types of gut bacteria compared to people without MS.
In particular, we showed that a group of bacteria called Blautia is more common in patients with MS, while Prevotella, a type of bacteria consistently associated with gut health, is found in lower amounts.
In a separate experiment with mice, we observed that the balance between two gut bacteria, Bifidobacterium and Akkermansia, was critical in distinguishing between mice with and without MS-like disease. In mice with MS symptoms, the level of
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