Publications by authors named "Igor Selmaj"
Article Synopsis
- Current disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) for multiple sclerosis (MS) often need to be taken for a long time, but aging and a weakened immune system (immunosenescence) raise concerns about their safety and effectiveness, especially in older patients.* -
- Studies suggest that adjusting DMTs, such as switching to lower-risk treatments or even stopping treatment entirely in older patients (55+), could maintain disease stability without significantly increasing risks.* -
- Research indicates that more extensive studies are needed to confirm the best approaches for DMT de-escalation in older MS patients to ensure patient safety while managing the disease effectively.*
Article Synopsis
- Circular RNA (circRNA) is a new type of non-coding RNA that influences microRNA activity and is linked to the mechanisms of multiple sclerosis (MS).
- A study examined circRNA profiles in the blood of 20 patients with relapsing-remitting MS and 10 healthy controls, identifying 246 circRNAs that are significantly downregulated in MS patients.
- Validation of two specific circRNAs, hsa_circRNA_101145 and hsa_circRNA_001896, showed their levels decrease during MS remission, pointing to potential roles in critical pathways related to oxidative stress and blood-brain barrier function.
Multiple Sclerosis: circRNA Profile Defined Reveals Links to B-Cell Function.
Neurol Neuroimmunol Neuroinflamm
September 2021
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to analyze the circular RNA (circRNA) profiles in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) compared to healthy individuals, focusing on immune cells.
- Researchers utilized hybridization microarray technology to examine nearly 14,000 circRNAs in blood samples from 20 RRMS patients and 10 healthy controls, validating findings with a larger cohort.
- The results identified 914 circRNAs differentially expressed between RRMS patients and controls, with three specific circRNAs significantly elevated during disease relapse, suggesting potential roles in B-cell dysfunction and as biomarkers for monitoring RRMS activity.
Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) are inflammatory demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) that cause optic neuritis, transverse myelitis, and some other CNS syndromes. Recently, diagnosis and understanding of these diseases has been markedly enhanced by the discovery that serum autoantibodies that target aquaporin-4 (AQP4) are strongly associated with the disease. This spectrum includes also a potential subset of patients with a phenotype of NMOSD who have anti-myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibody.
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- This study explores how exosomes, tiny vesicles that carry RNA, may play a role in the immune regulation of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) compared to healthy controls (HC).
- Researchers used next generation sequencing (NGS) to analyze the exosomal RNA profiles in 19 RRMS patients and 10 HC, identifying specific microRNAs (miRNAs) that were differentially expressed and significantly decreased during RRMS relapses.
- The findings suggest that the unique RNA profile in exosomes of RRMS patients could indicate disrupted communication between cells and that certain miRNAs might serve as potential biomarkers to differentiate between disease relapses.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a putative autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS) in which autoreactive immune cells recognizing myelin antigens lead to demyelination and axonal injury. Mechanisms relevant to the pathogenesis of MS have not been fully elucidated, particularly those underlying initiation of immune system dysfunction. For example, it is not known how reactivity against CNS components is generated within the peripheral immune system.
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- Exosomes are small vesicles that aid in cell communication and immunity, and this study focuses on their role in multiple sclerosis (MS).
- The research analyzed serum samples from MS patients (both relapsing-remitting and secondary progressive) and healthy controls to detect myelin proteins in exosomes and measure their characteristics.
- Results showed that exosomes carried myelin proteins like MOG, which linked strongly to disease activity, suggesting that these exosomes could enhance immune responses against myelin in MS and may serve as new markers for monitoring the disease.
Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs), an important immunoregulatory population, are characterized by vigorous secretion of type I interferons (IFNs) in response to toll-like receptor (TLR) 7 and 9 stimulation. We studied the function of pDCs in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients by analysis of TLR7 responses. We assessed a pDC secretion pattern of cytokines in the short term PBMC cultures stimulated with TLR7 agonist.
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