Popular Hypothesis Concerning Emergence Of Multiple Sclerosis Contested
Friday, December 19, 2008 - 20:35
in Health & Medicine
During an autoimmune disease, the endogenous defence system (the immune system) loses the ability to distinguish between "self" and "foreign." As a consequence, the immune system directs its defence against itself, with fatal consequences. In the case of multiple sclerosis, a chronic, inflammatory autoimmune disease, the immune system attacks the protective layer encapsulating the nerve fibres: This protective layer formed by myelin works like insulation for electrical cables. If the insulation is damaged, the nerves can no longer transmit messages effectively.