Gut bacteria and Multiple Sclerosis

Ongoing research is finding possible links between gut bacteria and Multiple Sclerosis.  Researchers are looking into whether an imbalance in the "wrong" type of gut bacteria might lead the body to overreact and attack itself causing autoimmune disease. 

"We know MS is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors but these are only partially understood," says IIana Katz Sand, MD and assistant professor of neurology at the Corinne Goldsmith Dickinson Center for MS at Mount Sinai Hospital New York.

More studies are finding links between the bacteria in the gut and MS.  Unpublished studies presented at the 2015 annual meeting at the American Academy of Neurology found differences in the bacterial composition of those with MS verses those without.