Abstract
BackgroundMultiple sclerosis (MS) has undergone a significant increase in incidence in the industrialised nations over the last 130 years. Changing environmental factors, possibly infections or a lack of or altered timing of them, determine the prevalence of the disease. Although a plethora of aetiological factors, clearly evident in a group of children with MS, appear relevant, there may nevertheless be a single factor essential for the aetiopathogenesis and clinical manifestation of MS.Description and discussionThis hitherto unknown factor is postulated to be a ‘melanoma-like neuromelanin’ (MLN) dependent on the activation of a gene for syncytin-1. An involvement of MLN could explain the diverse findings in the epidemiology, immunology and pathology of MS, requiring a consideration of a complex infectious background, the human leucocyte antigens, as well as cosmic radiation causing geomagnetic disturbances, vitamin D deficiency, smoking, and lower levels of uric acid.SummaryIn principle, the MLN-based concept is a unifying one, capable of explaining a number of characteristics of the disease. To date, MLN has not been addressed in studies on MS and future work will need to be done on human patients, as there is little or no neuromelanin (the precursor of MLN) in the animals used as experimental models in the study of MS.
Highlights
Multiple sclerosis (MS) has undergone a significant increase in incidence in the industrialised nations over the last 130 years
melanoma-like neuromelanin (MLN) has not been addressed in studies on MS and future work will need to be done on human patients, as there is little or no neuromelanin in the animals used as experimental models in the study of MS
In this paper we propose one such putative factor, a ‘melanoma-like neuromelanin’ (MLN), the involvement of which is supported by the available epidemiological data, and we discuss the relevance of this factor to the interpretation of past and current studies on MS and on the possible direction of future studies
Summary
The recent paper by Sajedi and Abdollahi in this journal [1] on geomagnetic disturbances as a risk factor for multiple sclerosis (MS) emphasises the complexity of the pathogenesis of this disease and encourages a search for an underlying factor that could be affected by such disturbances and other risk factors. There is, one – though still hypothetical – factor that is in principle able to form the basis of such time-spanning concomitance and we have already speculated that this is the ‘missing link’; namely, a melanoma-like neuromelanin (MLN) [14], and this is supported by the fact that the initiating steps in MS as well as in melanoma [61] occur in cells derived from the neural crest This encouraged us to seek for parallels in the aetiology of the two diseases, parallels that might be ascribed to the biosynthesis and action of a hypothetical melanomalike neuromelanin. Iron accumulation early in MS iron [44,45,46,47,48] plaques [42,43]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
