GEOGRAPH, CHRISTINE MATTHEWS
The sleep hormone melatonin appears to have a protective effect on nervous system tissue in mice, reducing the levels of harmful T cells in an experimental model of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to research published yesterday (September 10) in Cell. Higher levels of the hormone also negatively correspond to MS activity in humans.
In MS, the body’s immune cells attack the protective layer surrounding the neurons, leading to difficulties in muscle coordination, balance, and other nervous system functions. A team led by Francisco Quintana, a neurologist at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, observed a cohort of 139 patients recruited from an MS clinic in Buenos Aires, Argentina. All patients exhibited relapsing remitting MS—a disease progression characterized by periods of stability interrupted by symptom ...
