nerve damage

Signaling protein CCL2 may promote nerve damage in NMOSD: Study

CCL2, a signaling protein that recruits immune cells to sites of injury, may play a key role in driving the nerve damage that results from antibodies against the aquaporin-4 (AQP4) protein in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), a study suggests. The signaling protein was found to be elevated in…

Signaling Molecule CXCL7 Promotes Inflammation in NMOSD in Mice

A signaling molecule called CXCL7 drives inflammation and nerve fiber damage in a mouse model of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), a new study reports. The findings show that this signaling molecule “is a key factor in the formation of lesions in the brain, spinal cord, and retina,” the…

No Astrocyte Damage Found in Patients Lacking Anti-AQP4 Antibodies

People with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), but lacking anti-AQP4 and anti-MOG antibodies, show no signs of damage to astrocytes — nervous system cells attacked in NMOSD — when compared to those with anti-AQP4 antibodies. Those findings from a recent study suggest that the mechanisms underlying NMOSD symptoms in…

Chronic Pain: The Elephant in the Room

One of the most difficult aspects for me of living with neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is dealing with chronic pain. It’s what most affects my quality of life, but in my opinion, it’s also the least addressed and treated issue. In 2012,…