Research report 2004 - Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence (Martinsried site)

Persistency of immune cells in the central nervous system in multiple sclerosis: brain resident cells (astrocytes) produce BAFF, a survival factor for B-lymphocytes

Authors
Krumbholz, Markus; Wekerle, Hartmut; Hohlfeld, Reinhard; Meinl, Edgar
Departments

Neuroimmunologie (Wekerle) (Prof. Dr. Hartmut Wekerle)
MPI für Neurobiologie, Martinsried

Summary
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease of the central nervous system (CNS) mediated by autoimmune T- and B-lymphocytes. The role of B cells is largely unknown. A recent study showed that brain resident cells (astrocytes) produce a factor, named BAFF, which promotes the survival of B-lymphocytes. While BAFF is present in the healthy brain, its production is highly elevated in inflammatory brain lesions of MS patients. Thereby the CNS seems to provide a “B cell friendly” environment which promotes the survival of inflammatory cells inside of the CNS of MS patients.

For the full text, see the German version.

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