Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 19, 2026
08:05
Bioluminescence and Near-infrared Imaging of Optic Neuritis and Brain Inflammation in the EAE Model of Multiple Sclerosis in Mice
Published on: March 1, 2017
9.1K
Multiple sclerosis: what have we learned and can we still learn from electron microscopy.
Wendy Oost1,2, Jan F Meilof1,2,3, Wia Baron4,5
1Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section Molecular Neurobiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, A. Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences : CMLS
|April 23, 2025
Summary
Electron microscopy (EM) can reveal new insights into the molecular mechanisms of multiple sclerosis (MS) pathology, including lesion formation and remyelination failure. Advanced EM techniques offer nanometre-scale structural analysis to aid therapeutic development for MS.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pathology
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory neurodegenerative disease characterized by demyelination in the central nervous system.
- While remyelination can occur, it becomes less effective as MS progresses, and even normal-appearing brain tissue shows alterations.
- Current understanding of MS molecular pathogenesis, lesion formation, and demyelination is limited despite various analytical methods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the pathogenesis of MS and its ultrastructural features.
- To highlight the potential of advanced electron microscopy (EM) techniques in understanding MS pathology.
- To explore how EM can provide new insights into lesion formation, remyelination failure, and diffuse pathology for therapeutic development.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on MS pathogenesis and ultrastructural features.
- Discussion of the capabilities of advanced electron microscopy (EM) for high-resolution structural analysis.
- Integration of potential EM findings with immunohistochemistry and 'omics' data.
Main Results:
- MS pathology differs between grey and white matter lesions and their normal-appearing counterparts due to distinct cellular compositions.
- Advanced EM offers nanometre-scale resolution, surpassing previous studies and enabling detailed structural analysis.
- EM can potentially elucidate molecular mechanisms underlying MS lesion development, impaired remyelination, and diffuse pathology.
Conclusions:
- Cutting-edge EM techniques hold significant promise for uncovering novel insights into the ultrastructural basis of MS.
- Understanding these detailed pathological processes through EM may facilitate the development of new therapeutic strategies for multiple sclerosis.
- Further exploration using advanced EM is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of MS pathogenesis.
Related Concept Videos
01:25Overview of Electron Microscopy
The wavelengths of visible light ultimately limit the maximum theoretical resolution of images created by light microscopes. Most light microscopes can only magnify 1000X, and a few can magnify up to 1500X. Electrons, like electromagnetic radiation, can behave like waves, but with wavelengths of 0.005 nm, they produce significantly greater resolution up to 0.05 nm as compared to 500 nm for visible light. An electron microscope (EM) can create a sharp image that is magnified up to 2,000,000X.
01:20Immunogold Electron Microscopy
Immunoelectron microscopy utilizes immunogold labeling of endogenous proteins with specific antibodies to detect and localize these proteins in cells and tissues. The procedure provides insights into the distribution and quantification of protein under different stimulation conditions offering clues about their functions. Conjugating highly electron-dense gold particles with primary or secondary antibodies allow antigen detection on and within cells, with high resolution and specificity.
01:28Cryo-electron Microscopy
Conventional electron microscopy (EM) involves dehydration, fixation, and staining of biological samples, which distorts the native state of biological molecules and results in several artifacts. Also, the high-energy electron beam damages the sample and makes it difficult to obtain high-resolution images. These issues can be addressed using cryo-EM, which uses frozen samples and gentler electron beams. The technique was developed by Jacques Dubochet, Joachim Frank, and Richard Henderson, for...
01:22Overview of Microscopy Techniques
The early pioneers of microscopy opened a window into the invisible world of microorganisms. In 1830, Joseph Jackson Lister created an essentially modern light microscope. The 20th century saw the development of microscopes that leveraged nonvisible light, such as fluorescence microscopy that uses an ultraviolet light source and electron microscopy that uses short-wavelength electron beams. These advances significantly improved magnification, image resolution, and contrast. By comparison, the...
01:19Multiple Sclerosis l: Introduction
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that affects the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. It is an inflammatory demyelinating disorder and a leading cause of neurological disability in young adults.EpidemiologyMS commonly begins between 20 and 40 years of age and is twice as common in women. Its exact cause remains unclear, but genetic susceptibility contributes, with higher risk in first-degree relatives and identical twins. A greater...