Researchers Explore Whether Common Bacterium Is Triggering MS

A microbe found on pets, farm animals, and just about everywhere excretes 20 toxins, including one that targets the blood-brain barrier. 

Clostridium perfringens—found on animals and in the soil—has a strong connection to Multiple Sclerosis. Shutterstock

An oft-pathogenic bacteria that’s associated with multiple sclerosis (MS) may be pulling the trigger for the disease by way of a toxin it produces, according to researchers at Rockefeller University.

The researchers found patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) have 1,000 times the amount of Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens) in their gut microbiomes. The microbiome is the community of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other microorganisms that live mostly symbiotically with humans.