Antibodies Against Myelin Protein Prominent in Primary Progressive MS
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Nov 27 - IgG antibodies to the myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) appear to participate in the more severe type of multiple sclerosis (MS), investigators in Germany report in the PNAS Early Edition, published online on November 27.

Of the self-antigens previously evaluated in MS patients, none has a proven biological activity, senior author Dr. Bernhard Hemmer, from Heinrich Heine University in Dusseldorf, and his associates note.

MOG is present at the outermost surface of the myelin sheath, and anti-MOG antibodies have been implicated in the pathogenesis of MS, making it a "promising target" for further investigation of its role in MS. Up until now, researchers have evaluated fragments or linear constructs of MOG.

To construct a more natural model of MOG, Dr. Hemmer's team transduced human glial cells with full-length human MOG cDNA.

Dr. Hemmer and his associates conclude: "The occurrence of antibodies with demyelinating properties further supports the pathogenic role of the humoral immune system in MS and calls for the development of B cell directed therapies not only for relapsing remitting MS, but also for primary progressive MS.MORE