Could a Common Bacteria be the Environmental MS Trigger?

The more we study the human genome, the more likely it seems that there is what is known as a ‘genetic susceptibility’ to multiple sclerosis.  If we follow this theory of course, we must wonder why everyone with these suspect genes doesn’t get MS.  The general thought is that some form of environmental ‘trigger’ sets the MS ball in motion for those of us with said gene makeup. It’s often thought that a virus might trigger MS (in fact, some think of viral triggers for many autoimmune disorders).  A new study released this month suggests that this trigger might, perhaps, be bacterial rather than viral. According to researcher released by Cornell University’s medical school a common, soil-bound bacteria with a particular derivation which has never been observed in humans has been found in an MS patient and evidence of the same strain in 10x more people with MS than in controls.  While the study’s senior investigator, Dr. Timothy Vartanian cautions that much more research must be done; this is an interesting tack on our voyage toward better treatment a cure. The presence of different strains of the same bacteria (Clostridium perfringens) are found in a healthy gut and may deter the growth of the toxic Colstridium Profingens B strain which causes nearly identical-to-MS damage in grazing animals.  Not only could this help explain why some people report improvement in relapse rates with major dietary changes, it could lead to revolutionary treatment. If, ind...
Source: Life with MS - Category: Other Conditions Authors: Tags: MS multiple sclerosis clinical trials MS treatment multiple sclerosis clinical trials research Source Type: blogs