Contributions
Abstract: 165
Type: Oral
Humans are colonized with trillions of microbes from birth; more than 90% reside in the gastrointestinal tract. Emerging work suggests that alterations in the gut microbiota may be influential in disease, including neurological and immune-mediated conditions such as MS. Gut microbiota perturbations have been associated with disease risk and disease activity in animal models of MS.
The role of the gut microbial community includes synthesis of vitamins, modulation of the immune system and resistance to infection. MS is considered an immune-mediated disease, with both genetic and early life environmental exposures (including infections), implicated as risk factors. Once MS develops, relatively little is known as to what might trigger or facilitate disease activity, such as a relapse. Environmental exposures such as stress, sunlight/vitamin D and recent viral infections have been linked to risk of relapse, with the presumed pathway(s) being through immune system modulation. Interestingly, the putative environmental factors associated with MS onset or MS relapses also influence the gut microbiota which likewise modulates the immune system which is known to be affected in MS.
Paediatric MS offers opportunity to study disease processes in the very early stages of MS, relatively close to the actual biological onset of disease, potentially limiting confounding factors. This presentation will cover preliminary work, addressing two questions: i) does the gut microbiota in paediatric MS differ from control children? ii) is the gut microbiota composition associated with future relapse risk in paediatric MS?
Disclosure: Helen Tremlett is funded by the Canada Research Chair program and in the last year has received research support from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada and the Multiple Sclerosis Scientific Research Foundation.
Abstract: 165
Type: Oral
Humans are colonized with trillions of microbes from birth; more than 90% reside in the gastrointestinal tract. Emerging work suggests that alterations in the gut microbiota may be influential in disease, including neurological and immune-mediated conditions such as MS. Gut microbiota perturbations have been associated with disease risk and disease activity in animal models of MS.
The role of the gut microbial community includes synthesis of vitamins, modulation of the immune system and resistance to infection. MS is considered an immune-mediated disease, with both genetic and early life environmental exposures (including infections), implicated as risk factors. Once MS develops, relatively little is known as to what might trigger or facilitate disease activity, such as a relapse. Environmental exposures such as stress, sunlight/vitamin D and recent viral infections have been linked to risk of relapse, with the presumed pathway(s) being through immune system modulation. Interestingly, the putative environmental factors associated with MS onset or MS relapses also influence the gut microbiota which likewise modulates the immune system which is known to be affected in MS.
Paediatric MS offers opportunity to study disease processes in the very early stages of MS, relatively close to the actual biological onset of disease, potentially limiting confounding factors. This presentation will cover preliminary work, addressing two questions: i) does the gut microbiota in paediatric MS differ from control children? ii) is the gut microbiota composition associated with future relapse risk in paediatric MS?
Disclosure: Helen Tremlett is funded by the Canada Research Chair program and in the last year has received research support from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada and the Multiple Sclerosis Scientific Research Foundation.