BioNTech, the company that worked with Pfizer to create their COVID-19 vaccine, is now turning their attention to multiple sclerosis (MS) . They claim that they were able to use the same technology to create a vaccine that cures MS in mice.
MS is a disease that attacks the nervous system.
Unlike COVID-19, MS is not caused by a virus; it is a disorder within the immune system . The body overreacts to a protein released by the disease, which causes it to attack the nervous system.
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The COVID-19 vaccine works similarly to the MS vaccine.
Both vaccines inject a piece of mRNA into a person’s arm. The MS vaccine is based on the proteins that are triggering the immune response. The vaccine uses non-inflammatory particles to teach the body to not overreact to similar proteins.
MS could be stopped and even reversed.
It is suspected that the vaccine helps the body cope with MS-related proteins, which stops the immune system from attacking the nervous system. This will stop the disease from progressing and potentially allow the body to heal, meaning that some lost function could return.
In mice, the company has demonstrated that their mRNA vaccine improved the symptoms of MS, and even prevented disease progression when given in the early stages of MS.
This is an important development for treating MS.
Current therapies rely on suppressing the immune system, which leaves the person vulnerable to other diseases. The vaccine instead mimics the proteins triggering the immune response to help the body to become accustomed to them. This will require a targeted approach . Future vaccines could be tailored to target the specific disease-causing antigen of individuals. But, at least for now, BioNTech’s priority is the COVID-19 vaccine.
h/t: Yahoo! Finance
