Could “tattoo therapy” be a future treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS)?
Researchers at Rice University and the Baylor College of Medicine think it could be possible.
Rice University researchers created a sort of temporary tattoo containing antioxidant nanoparticles that were then tested by scientists at Baylor College.
Beeton explained that the nanoparticles were absorbed by study participants’ T cells. Those T cells then lost their ability to function. T cells are thought to be responsible for attacking healthy tissue in patients with autoimmune diseases, including MS.
Macrophages, which are also significant parts of the human immune system, were not affected by the nanoparticles, thus leaving most of the immune system intact and functional.