A look at early multiple sclerosis

Imaging![Figure][1] Inflammatory cells (red) infiltrating brain tissue PHOTO: GERWEIN ET AL. In multiple sclerosis and similar diseases in animals, the brain becomes inflamed, which ultimately causes neurons to degenerate. Gerwien et al. found two protein-degrading enzymes that are absolutely required for this process: MMP-2 and MMP-9. MMP-9 resides in immune cells and is required for the entry of these cells into the brain as the disease begins. The authors developed tools to visualize MMP inhibitors at this initial stage of multiple sclerosis and its mouse equivalent, just as immune cells began their inflammatory infiltration of the brain. Sci. Transl. Med. 8 , 364ra152 (2016). [1]: pending:yes