Researchers found that the leprosy bug attaches to Schwann cells, disrupting the myelin sheath and causing nerve damage. This discovery may provide insights into early molecular events of neurodegeneration processes in diseases like multiple sclerosis.
SourceRockefeller University·JournalScience·DateMay 2, 2002
Researchers discovered the exact cellular site where the leprosy-causing bacterium attacks peripheral nerves. The findings point to a way of treating leprosy in its early stages and have tremendous ramifications for understanding nerve damage in other neurodegenerative diseases like muscular dystrophy and multiple sclerosis.
SourceRockefeller University·JournalScience·DateDec 14, 1998