From gut to nerves: how our microbiome may be causing spinal damage

We all know that the gut is the second brain. We hear it gurgle and complain when we over-eat, undereat, and indulge in too much icecream. What we don’t often think about is how our gut microbiome can cause disease. New research from Japan is investigating this, with a new paper released last week suggesting the possibility that certain strains of bacteria in our gut can cause the autoimmune disease, multiple sclerosis. 

Multiple sclerosis occurs when the immune system degrades the covering of nerves and causes the disruption of signals transmitting from the brain to the spinal cord. Symptoms can include blindness, muscle dysfunction, and spinal cord damage.

This research was conducted on groups of mice whose microbiome was dominated by either one strain of bacteria from the small intestine, or two strains which have been shown to coordinate. Mice that had both strains of bacteria appeared to respond similarly to those in humans who have multiple sclerosis. These bacterial strains activate T cells, a type of white blood cell important for our immune response against pathogens, which then react to an important molecule for structure and adhesion in the central nervous system (myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein). This shows how complex and influential the gut is in other areas of the body.

Whilst this field of research is still in its early stages, with more research on humans required, exploring the potential impact of our gut is essential for understanding how many modern diseases are caused and exacerbated. All I can say is, watch this space!

Reference paper:

Miyauchi, E., Kim, S., Suda, W., Kawasumi, M., Onawa, S., Taguchi-Atarashi, N., Morita, H., Taylor, T., Hattori, M., Ohno, H., & Miyauchi, E. (2020). Gut microorganisms act together to exacerbate inflammation in spinal cords. Nature, 585(7823), 102–106. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2634-9