Eye Protein Could help Against MS

naturally occurring protein called alphaB-crystallin may help protect against multiple sclerosis-related nerve cell damage and symptoms

The protein is found primarily in the lens of the eye.
It's not normally found in the brain, but develops in response to injuries inflicted on nerve cells by multiple sclerosis (MS).

The body's immune system considers expression of the protein in the brain a danger signal and attacks it
But in tests on mice with an MS-like disease, the researchers found that alphaB-crystallin helped reduce MS-related symptoms such as inflammation and reduced MS-related cell death. When the protein was injected into the mice, it helped reverse their paralysis

The protein restored order by suppressing the cellular processes causing the damage the mechanism is similar to the process used in allergy shots, when a person with an allergy gets an injection of the protein that is causing problems for the body, so it can learn to ignore it.

If the results achieved using alphaB-crystallin in mice can be duplicated in humans, the protein may someday be used to treat MS

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SOURCE: Stanford University, news release, June 13, 2007