People with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) who smoke have a higher risk of incomplete recovery after disease relapses than those who do not smoke, according to a review of published studies. Smoking did not appear to increase the risk of developing NMOSD or subsequent relapses, however. The relationship…
Discussion
One of my favorite cartoons features Pepé Le Pew, a skunk who becomes infatuated with a cat named Penelope, who accidentally gets a white stripe of paint and is mistaken for a skunk. Pepé blissfully chases after Penelope while she frantically tries to escape. The chaos that follows is pure…
Discussion
Acute attacks of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) may be worsened by web-like structures released by immune cells that normally help fight infection, a study suggests. NMOSD patients experiencing disease attacks had higher blood levels of markers of these web-like structures, called neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), relative to healthy…
NMOSD is a progressive autoimmune disease where the immune system mistakenly attacks nerve cells, affecting the nervous system. Learn more about the disease here.
Scientists do not know the exact underlying cause of NMOSD. Self-reactive antibodies that target AQP4 are known to play a major role. Learn more about what causes the disease here.
When the disease affects the optic nerve (optic neuritis), it can result in pain inside the eye and possibly blurry vision or vision loss. Learn more about the symptoms of the disease here.
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