Hyperactivity of our immune system can cause a state of chronic inflammation. If chronic, the inflammation will affect our body and result in disease. In the devastating disease multiple sclerosis, hyperactivity of immune cells called T-cells induce chronic inflammation and degeneration of the brain. Researchers at the Biotech Research & Innovation Centre (BRIC) of the University of Copenhagen, and the Centre of Multiple Sclerosis of Catalonia (Cemcat), led by Dr. Xavier Montalban and Dr. Manuel Comabella, have identified a new type of regulatory blood cells that can combat such hyperactive T-cells in blood from patients with multiple sclerosis. By stimulating the regulatory blood cells, the researchers significantly decreased the level of brain inflammation and disease in a biological model. The results were published on Sunday in the journal "http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=FoxA1+directs+the+lineage+and+immunosuppressive+properties+of+a+novel+regulatory+T+cell+population+in+EAE+and+MS" "http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=FoxA1+directs+the+lineage+and+immunosuppressive+properties+of+a+novel+regulatory+T+cell+population+in+EAE+and+MS" Nature Medicine. "http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=FoxA1+directs+the+lineage+and+immunosuppressive+properties+of+a+novel+regulatory+T+cell+population+in+EAE+and+MS" The new blood cells belong to the group of our white blood cells called lymphocytes. The cells express a molecule called FoxA1 that the researchers found is responsible for the cells’ development and suppressive functions.“We saw that FoxA1 cells play an important role in both the animal model of multiple sclerosis (experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis), by suppressing the clinical course of the disease when it is induced, and multiple sclerosis, where its expression is induced by interferon-beta, which is one of the most used treatments for the disease”, reports Dr. Comabella, researcher from the Neuroimmunology group at Vall d’Hebron Institute of Research (VHIR) and Cemcat. In the case of the nearly 30 patients from Cemcat included in the study and treated with interferon-beta, they discovered that those who presented a good clinical response had a higher induction of FoxA1 cells. According to him, “further knowledge of this immunosuppressive population could be the starting point for the design of new effective treatments for multiple sclerosis based on cell therapy”. Genzyme awards another project of Dr. ComabellaApart from this study, Dr. Comabella has been awarded this week by the "http://www.fundaciongenzyme.es/BecasPremios/ConvocatoriasBecas.aspx" Genzyme Foundation with one of the 4 grants for research in multiple sclerosis, for the project: “Study of the gene expression of HLA-DRB1 in positive and negative patients with multiple sclerosis for the allele HLA-DRB1*15:01”.The study granted aims to determine the expression of HLA-DRB1in the allele HLA-DRB1*15:01. The genes of the Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) system have already been confirmed as genetic biomarkers of the predisposal to develop multiple sclerosis. According to Dr. Comabella, “people with HLA-DRB1 in the allele HLA-DRB1*15:01 are up to 2.5 and 3 times more likely to develop multiple sclerosis than people who don’t”. In that sense, he considers “essential” to study the expression of this gen to ascertain why these people have a higher risk. Multiple sclerosis is a chronic degenerative inflammatory disease in which the immune system destroys the myelin sheaths of the neurons. While its etiology it is still unknown, researchers know that it is cause by the interaction of multiple genetic and environmental factors. “Many genes are related to multiple sclerosis, but the HLA gene is known as the main risk factor”, says Dr. Comabella. Genzyme will fund his research with 10,000 euros to promote the research and knowledge of this disease.