A new study focusing on twins has found that individuals with a larger presence of certain bacteria types could have a higher likelihood of developing multiple sclerosis. These findings could offer new ways to halt the disease’s progression or prevent it altogether.
The team was led by researchers based at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich and they discovered that two specific kinds of bacteria occurred more frequently in individuals diagnosed with MS, and those same kinds of bacteria were present in mice that developed this condition. The bacteria in question are Lachnoclostridium and Eisenbergiella tayi, the team indicated in their paper published in PNAS.
Previous research suggests that gut microbiota changes are linked to MS development, but it isn’t clear which underlying mechanisms and details are responsible for the link between gut microbiota and MS.
To get clarity on this matter, the research team focused on identical twins, selecting 81 pairs in total as subjects of the study. In those pairs, one individual didn’t have MS while the other twin had the disease. This choice of study subjects ensured that many environmental and genetic factors linked to the disease were eliminated as plausible causative factors.
The team then transferred some specimen of suspect bacteria types into mice pre-engineered to be prone to multiple sclerosis development. An analysis of the mice that developed the disease helped the team to zero in on the specific bacteria that could have played a role in the disease’s onset.
The scientists then looked back at the data on the twins who had the disease and after comparing this data with the findings in the mice, they were able to confirm that in both cases of MS manifestation, Lachnoclostridium and E. tayi featured strongly and could be a contributing factor to the development of the disease.
The researchers write that these particular bacteria could be vital environmental factors triggering MS development in humans, though further research is needed to provide additional confirmation of the role played by these two types of bacteria in MS development.
They say in their paper that the use of mouse models for the study was the strongest limitation of the study, but additional studies involving human subjects could reveal ways in which the gut microbiota could be targeted with treatments geared at managing or curing MS.
With so many teams, such as the research team at Clene Inc. (NASDAQ: CLNN), devoting time and other resources to seeking effective treatments for multiple sclerosis, it may not take long for the next generation of effective interventions against this disease to become widely available.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Clene Inc. (NASDAQ: CLNN) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/CLNN
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