Is the intestine the starting point for MS?
For some time, research has been conducted into the theory that neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease originate in the enteric nervous system. The enteric nervous system is a complex network of nerve cells in the gastrointestinal tract. According to this theory, certain diseases first begin in the intestine and subsequently use the so-called intestinal-brain axis (gut-brain axis), only to manifest themselves many years later in the central nervous system, where they lead to typical symptoms.
We are exploring this theory specifically for MS using several approaches
First, we would like to show that the nervous system in the gut is affected in multiple sclerosis. This can already be seen well in mice, but how can these results from the mouse model be transferred to humans? We found initial evidence in intestinal slices taken from MS patients after surgery.
The interim conclusion of our research is that there are indications that the intestine can be the starting point of MS and that the disease does not manifest itself in the brain until much later.
Further systematic research with patients is needed to confirm this evidence.
Another approach is to investigate what role dietary components play in multiple sclerosis. Ultimately, we want to explore how nutrition or dietary changes can improve autoimmune diseases like MS.
We know that people with multiple sclerosis often complain of more severe disease symptoms after consuming dairy products. Our study in mice recently found that a protein in cow's milk can trigger inflammation that targets the "insulating layer" around nerve cells. Likewise, our study has revealed evidence of a similar mechanism in humans. This affects MS patients who are allergic to cow's milk casein.