26/07/2025
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๐ง Scientists just found gut bacteria that may trigger MS โ and it could let us treat the disease!
Scientists have identified two gut bacteria strains that may help trigger multiple sclerosis (MS)โa breakthrough that could lead to new ways to treat or even prevent the disease.
In a new study from Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, researchers studied 81 pairs of identical twins in which one twin had MS and the other did not.
Because the twins share nearly identical genetics and similar environments, the differences between them pointed to something else: their gut microbiomes.
Two strainsโEisenbergiella tayi and Lachnoclostridiumโwere found to be more common in the MS-affected siblings. Even more compelling, when these bacteria were transferred to mice, the animals began to show signs of MS-like disease.
This is the clearest evidence yet that gut microbes may help spark MS, an autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks the brain and spinal cord.
While earlier research suggested a gut-brain connection, this study pinpoints specific bacterial culprits and offers a path forward for treatments that target the microbiome. If future studies confirm these findings in humans, doctors may one day slow or prevent MS not with immunosuppressants, but by reshaping the gut itself.
Rojas, O. L., et al. (2025). Identification of MS-associated gut bacterial strains using identical twins discordant for disease. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
