Blood clotting protein triggers immune attack on brain

Blood clotting protein triggers immune attack on brain

Disruption of the blood-brain barrier triggers a cascade of events that results in autoimmunity, brain damage characteristic of multiple sclerosis

Summary: A single drop of blood in the brain is sufficient to activate an autoimmune response akin to multiple sclerosis, new research shows. This is the first demonstration that introduction of blood in the healthy brain is sufficient to cause peripheral immune cells to enter the brain, which then go on to cause brain damage.