Major discovery on spinal injury reveals unknown immune response

CHARLOTTESVILLE (WSLS 10) - In a discovery that could dramatically affect the treatment of brain and spinal cord injuries, researchers at the University of Virginia said they've identified a previously unknown, beneficial immune response that occurs after injury to the central nervous system.

By harnessing this response, doctors said they 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 better treat degenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, glaucoma and Lou Gehrig's disease.

Officials say the newly discovered immune response occurs independently of the process that typically goads 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 Jonathan Kipnis, PhD, professor in the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Virginia School of Medicine and director 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 produce a molecule called interleukin 4, which happens to be indispensable for immune-mediated neuroprotection after CNS trauma.

University officials said the new findings suggest that doctors may instead want to increase the "interleukin 4" response, to boost the protection it provides. They also may be able to determine how well a patient will respond to treatment by developing a test to detect the number of interleukin 4-producing cells present.

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Major discovery on spinal injury reveals unknown immune response