SWAlexander
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Summary: Study reports proteins in cow milk trigger autoimmune responses in those with multiple sclerosis, leading to damage of the myelin sheath.
Source: University of Bonn
The prompt for the study came from MS patients: “We hear again and again from sufferers that they feel worse when they consume milk, cottage cheese or yogurt,” explains Stefanie Kürten from the Institute of Anatomy at University Hospital Bonn. “We are interested in the cause of this correlation.”
The professor of neuroanatomy is considered a renowned expert on multiple sclerosis. She began the study in 2018 at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. A year and a half ago, she moved to Bonn, where she continued the work together with her research group. “We injected mice with different proteins from cow’s milk,” she says. “We wanted to find out if there was a constituent that they were responding to with symptoms of disease.”
And the researchers did indeed find what they were looking for: When they administered the cow’s milk constituent casein together with an effect enhancer to the animals, the mice went on to develop neurological disorders. Electron microscopy showed damage to the insulating layer around the nerve fibers, the myelin. The fat-like substance prevents short circuits and additionally significantly accelerates stimulus conduction.
Perforated myelin layer
In multiple sclerosis, the body’s immune system destroys the myelin sheath. The consequences range from paresthesia and vision problems to movement disorders. In extreme cases, patients need a wheelchair. The insulating sheath was also massively perforated in the mice – apparently triggered by casein administration. “We suspected that the reason was a misdirected immune response, similar to that seen in MS patients,” explains Rittika Chunder, who is a postdoctoral fellow in Prof. Kürten’s research group. “The body’s defenses actually attack the casein, but in the process they also destroy proteins involved in the formation of myelin.”
continue: https://neurosciencenews.com/milk-multiple-sclerosis-20123/
Source: University of Bonn
The prompt for the study came from MS patients: “We hear again and again from sufferers that they feel worse when they consume milk, cottage cheese or yogurt,” explains Stefanie Kürten from the Institute of Anatomy at University Hospital Bonn. “We are interested in the cause of this correlation.”
The professor of neuroanatomy is considered a renowned expert on multiple sclerosis. She began the study in 2018 at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. A year and a half ago, she moved to Bonn, where she continued the work together with her research group. “We injected mice with different proteins from cow’s milk,” she says. “We wanted to find out if there was a constituent that they were responding to with symptoms of disease.”
And the researchers did indeed find what they were looking for: When they administered the cow’s milk constituent casein together with an effect enhancer to the animals, the mice went on to develop neurological disorders. Electron microscopy showed damage to the insulating layer around the nerve fibers, the myelin. The fat-like substance prevents short circuits and additionally significantly accelerates stimulus conduction.
Perforated myelin layer
In multiple sclerosis, the body’s immune system destroys the myelin sheath. The consequences range from paresthesia and vision problems to movement disorders. In extreme cases, patients need a wheelchair. The insulating sheath was also massively perforated in the mice – apparently triggered by casein administration. “We suspected that the reason was a misdirected immune response, similar to that seen in MS patients,” explains Rittika Chunder, who is a postdoctoral fellow in Prof. Kürten’s research group. “The body’s defenses actually attack the casein, but in the process they also destroy proteins involved in the formation of myelin.”
continue: https://neurosciencenews.com/milk-multiple-sclerosis-20123/
