What is it about?
Multiple sclerosis (MS), an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system, generally starts as relapsing-remitting form (RRMS), but often shifts into secondary progressive MS (SPMS). SPMS represents a more advanced stage of MS, characterized by accumulating disabilities and refractoriness to medications. We have revealed the microbial and functional characteristics of the gut microbiome in patients with SPMS for the first time.
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Photo by Hans Moerman on Unsplash
Why is it important?
Whole metagenomic sequencing analysis revealed an enhancement in microbial DNA mismatch repair in the gut of patients with SPMS, which was consistent with excessive fecal oxidation shown in sulfur metabolomics. As elevated oxidative stress is closely associated with chronic neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration, the present result opens a way to microbiome data-assisted management of MS, useful for prevention of disease progression.
Perspectives
Writing this article was a great pleasure as it has co-authors with whom I have had long standing collaborations. The translational microbiome research will lead us to a complete cure of this disease.
Dr. Takashi Yamamura
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Alterations of the gut ecological and functional microenvironment in different stages of multiple sclerosis, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, August 2020, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2011703117.
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