Are there indicators of remyelination in blood or CSF of multiple sclerosis patients?
Knowing the mechanisms and the times of remyelination is not only an intriguing scientific challenge but it has also important consequences on the therapeutic approach to multiple sclerosis (MS). The neural-cell adhesion molecule (N-CAM) shows tempting suggestions about its possible involvement in reparative mechanisms, and, finally, in remyelination. In fact, its levels progressively increase in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of acute MS patients, paralleling the progressive clinical improvement after the attack. Some information is also given about the ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF), whose CSF levels were found to be increased in MS patients who were recovering from an acute exacerbation.
Institute of Neurology, UCSC Medical School, Rome, Italy.
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D020934:Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor; D006801:Humans; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000502:physiology*; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000502:physiology; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D019006:Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000502:physiology
D020934:Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D019006:Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules