Link Found Between Bacterial Toxin and Multiple Sclerosis

A specific toxin-producing gut bacteria, epsilon toxin-producing Clostridium perfringens, may be responsible for triggering the onset of multiple sclerosis (MS) and ongoing disease activity, according to a new study. The study identifies the bacteria in unusually high abundance within the gut microbiome of people with MS. Epsilon toxin opens the blood vessels of the brain allowing inflammatory cells to gain access to the central nervous system and cause demyelination characteristic of MS.