Popular Scientific Summary: Treg Missiles for Multiple Sclerosis
T cell Missiles for Multiple Sclerosis
Wang Hao
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neural disease in brain and spinal cord (or referred as the central nervous system, CNS), with various types of inabilities exhibited.
Although its origin is not fully elucidated yet, it is largely attributed to destructive reactions on myelin sheath in axons which are triggered by
pathogenically activated T. Myelin sheath is a fatty compound that covers axons and is fatal in conducting electric nerve signals. Because of available early diagnosis on MS, it is prospective for novel therapies with suppressive cells, such as regulatory T cells (Treg), which in the peripheral system, play a vital role in suppressing activation and proliferation of T cells that may attack on self- antigens.
Nevertheless, two of the main flaws the above strategy suffers are: 1) systematic administration of Tregs may also inhibit normal immune reactions and introduce extra risks to patients; 2) the blood-brain barrier that protects CNS is also an obstacle for therapeutic Tregs to overcome.
In the present study, Tregs were genetically engineered into cell missiles with a guidance system that enables them to target and interact with the CNS-
specifically localized MOG peptide. Abilities of both suppression and CNS targeting of Treg missiles have been proven in the subsequent in vitro investigations. On the other side, an alternative applicable pathway was also investigated, in which Treg missiles were injected into nostrils instead of abdomen or vascular. Owing to the fact that the nasal cavity is a place abundant in blood without blood-brain barrier, it would, and was indicated in this study, to be much easier for Treg missiles to migrate through the mucus layer into brain.
