Discovery on Spinal Injury Reveals Unknown Immune Response

Researchers from the department of neuroscience at the University of Virginia School of Medicine have newly discovered a beneficial immune response that occurs after injury to the central nervous system (CNS). By harnessing this response, researchers and physicians may be able to develop new and better treatments for brain and spinal cord injuries, develop tools to predict how patients will respond to treatment and learn how to better treat degenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, glaucoma and Lou Gehrig’s disease. The newly discovered immune response occurs independently of the process that typically sparks the immune system into action. In that process, the body identifies and attacks substances known as antigens, such as bacteria and viruses. “What we have shown is that the injured central nervous system talks to the immune system in a language that hasn’t been previously recognized in this context,” said the University of Virginia’s direction of the Center for Brain Immunology and Glia. “It sends ‘danger signals’ and activates the immune system very rapidly. These danger signals cause immune cells to be indispensable for immune mediated neuroprotection after CNS trauma.” Currently, there are no effective treatments to promote neuronal survival and regeneration after CNS injury. The new findings provide growing evidence that treatments for spinal injuries that historically relied on immune suppression are ineffective. To read more about this study, click here.