Genetics

In progressive multiple sclerosis, disability keeps worsening even when obvious flare-ups calm down — and this blog dives into a surprising culprit behind that slow decline. Researchers used patient-derived neural stem cells to show that, in people with progressive MS, these cells become prematurely “aged,” crank up their metabolism, and start overproducing cholesterol that gets stored in fatty droplets. In this stressed state, they release a toxic mix of signals that can damage nearby neurons. The twist? A common statin, simvastatin, doesn’t make the cells young again, but it does cool down their harmful secretions and protect neurons in the lab. This post unpacks the science in plain language and explores what it could mean for future MS treatments.