Study demonstrates central role for NFkB in driving pathophysiology of MS

A central regulator of inflammation, nuclear factor kappa B (NFkB), has been implicated as a driver of the autoimmune disease multiple sclerosis (MS). A team led by David Hafler, of the Broad Institute and Yale School of Medicine, demonstrated that MS-associated variants alter NFkB signaling pathways, leading to increased activation of NFkB and making cells more responsive to inflammatory stimuli. The work, featured in Science Translational Medicine, suggests that rapid genetic screening for variants associated with NFκB signaling may identify individuals amenable to therapeutics targeting this pathway.