Study Helps Explain Why MS is More Common in Women

Findings published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, may help explain why so many more women than men suffer from multiple sclerosis (MS). Women develop the disorder nearly four times more than men do, however, the reasons why are unclear. The new study is the first to associate a difference between the brains of women and men with MS. The researchers found that females susceptible to MS produce higher levels of a blood vessel receptor protein, S1PR2, compared to males. The protein is present at even higher levels in the brain areas that MS typically damages. “We looked at its function in mice,” said the senior author of the study, “We found that it can determine whether immune cells cross blood vessels into the brain. These cells cause the inflammation that lead to MS.” Additional experiments showed that S1PR2 opened up the blood-brain barrier. This barrier normally blocks potentially harmful substances from entering the brain. Opening it up likely allows the inflammatory cells that cause MS to get into the central nervous system. To read more about this study, click here.