Multiple Sclerosis Explained (MS Australia)
“MS is thought to be an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system (CNS), which is made up of the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. In MS, the immune system, which usually works to protect the body, mistakenly starts to attack the bodys own tissue. The primary target of this attack is thought to be myelin, the protective coating around the nerve cells in the CNS that facilitates nerve conduction. The attacks on myelin produce scarring or plaques at multiple sites in the CNS, and it is these scars that give the disease its name. These scars, in turn, begin to slow or interrupt the transmission of nerve impulses, resulting in the symptoms of MS.”