https://jessicar.substack.com/p/a-new-multiple-sclerosis-study-is

A study was published on April 21, 2025 in PNAS entitled: “Multiple sclerosis and gut microbiota: Lachnospiraceae from the ileum of MS twins trigger MS-like disease in germfree transgenic mice—An unbiased functional study.”1 Strategic identification of gut bacteria functionally-linked to the development of multiple sclerosis (MS) is no small feat and this is precisely what the authors have done.

This study is designed really well and has excellent controls and actually causally links two specific gut bacteria called Eisenbergiella tayi and Lachnoclostridium are “likely responsible for an increased incidence of disease”. They are both really important to gut metabolism. Wikipedia calls Lachnoclostridium “obsolete” for some reason.

[Note: there are several other embedded links below in the original, that I didn't have time to add here]

On Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease resulting in damage to myelin—the insulating covers of nerve cells—in the brain and spinal cord.2

Over 1 million Americans suffer from MS and it can be quite debilitating depending on the degree and location of demyelination (damage to myelin). It is an autoimmune disease (the body’s immune cells (T + B) attack myelin), characterized by the formation of lesions or “plaques” in the central nervous system (CNS), inflammation, and destruction of neuronal myelin sheaths.

It is typically relapsing, and if plaques or lesions form in multitude on the brain or spinal cord (CNS), symptoms can manifest quite severely as motor or sensory problems, optic neuritis and other neurological impairments. Again, it arises from immune dysfunction (inflammation) and it is suspected that viruses can also play potentiating roles in its progression and periodic attacks, especially that insidious Epstein-Barr virus. I hate that virus. It’s so not cool.

Again, it’s all about balance and homeostasis.

On the study

This groundbreaking study involved 81 pairs of identical twins, where only one sibling of each pair had multiple sclerosis (MS). The authors identified two gut bacteria, namely Eisenbergiella tayi and Lachnoclostridium, as potential triggers for MS. They compared gut microbiome samples from these twins and isolated 51 microbial candidates, with Eisenbergiella tayi and Lachnoclostridium being consistently linked to MS.

These bacteria are both fermenters. They ferment complex carbohydrates and produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like butyrate, acetate, and lactate as metabolic end products. These by-products are anti-inflammatory and support guy health. Eisenbergiella tayi breaks down mucus sugars and fiber to contribute to SCFAs in the gut, while Lachnoclostridium does carbohydrates (particularly plant-derived polysaccharides) and fibers, also yielding SCFAs such as acetate and butyrate.

These bacteria are both on the Lachnospiraceae family which are obligate anaerobes, and they are known to help digest fiber. I wrote that twice and you’ll see why at the end.

The idea of the gut being linked to MS (any many, many other “disease states”) is not new. Changes in gut bacteria have long been studied as sources for many diseases, including MS.3

Some facts on our amazing gut

The human gastrointestinal (GI) tract has an estimated surface of more than 200 square meters and represents the interface between the body and the external environment, hosting a complex polymicrobial ecology that includes bacteria, archaea, fungi, protists, and viruses. The population of human gut microorganisms is estimated at approximately 1013–1014, and thus, outnumber the somatic cells of the host by over 10 times. Therefore, intestinal microbiota and the relative microbiome directly affect human health and disease, and have been considered as a new “organ”.4

Not only that, but the gut is the most densely populated area with regard to immune cells (70-80% of the body's immune cells live there!) than anywhere else in the body - aka: MALT (mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue). And not only that, but the enteric nervous system is a neural network that operates within the gastrointestinal (GI) tract to control digestive functions and has more than 500 million neurons! It’s very much a complex neural network, second only to the brain itself.567

My take is if you mess with the gut, a whole lot of stuff is also going to get messed up. Think autoimmunity.

Back to the study

The study's design minimized genetic and environmental variables, and provided strong evidence that these bacteria that are found in the small intestine - a key site for immune regulation due to its dense population of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) - may drive the immune system to attack nerve cells, leading to MS symptoms. By focusing on identical twins, who share nearly identical genetic makeup and often similar environmental exposures (e.g., diet, lifestyle, and early-life conditions), the study effectively controlled for genetic predispositions and external factors that could confound results.

The team collected fecal samples from both twins in each pair and analyzed their gut microbiomes, identifying 51 microbial candidates, with Eisenbergiella tayi and Lachnoclostridium consistently enriched in the MS-affected twins.

To establish causation, researchers transplanted gut microbes in the fecal samples from MS-affected human twins (both MS-affected and healthy) into germ-free mice specifically-engineered to develop MS-like symptoms. Within 12 weeks, the mice receiving poop (bacteria) from MS patients developed paralysis, while those given poop (microbes) from healthy twins remained unaffected.

Astonishing!

Also, a significant increase in Eisenbergiella tayi was observed in female mice before MS symptoms appeared, mirroring the higher MS prevalence in women. This approach confirmed that these bacteria could directly contribute to MS-like disease, with Lachnoclostridium also showing dominance in their later trials.

This is astonishing.

My question is, if we create MS using poop transfers (transplantation), then perhaps we could abolish MS (and other “disease”) by doing the same thing? Sabine Hazan would emphatically say: “YES”.

Now messing with the gut flora is not something I think should be done lightly, but here’s the thing: I think glyphosate is responsible for the total destruction of the human gut microbiome, and in fact, I would go further to make the claim that most autoimmune diseases - so very common and unique to the United States - stem from both environmental toxins (like glyphosate and other pesticides and mono-culture BS), and improper diet and lack of proper vitamins and minerals, including Vitamin D.

What am I getting at? Proper nutrition could not only prevent MS and other debilitating autoimmune diseases, but it could reverse them if the damage is not too bad. Think cholesterol.

Question: Based on this study and the fact that the bacteria identified (directly linked to MS-symptom onset) are fiber-loving, maybe something as simple as adding fiber to one’s diet - to give those fiber-loving Lachno-dudes something to “chew on” - could prevent onset on problems or alleviate symptoms? Maybe there’s something to this “increase your fiber intake” thing and not just for our elders. Eat prunes! They’re yummy.

It would an absolutely harmless way to test an hypothesis that could be life-altering in a good way. I personally not only believe fiercely that we can live very long lives disease-free simply with proper diet, sun and movement, but that we can reverse disease onset with the same tactic.

I think the main thing holding the West back are the boatload of toxins being ingested daily, that are destroying not only the gut and the brain, but the immune system as well. I also believe very firmly that vaccines are terribly-implicated in this destruction as well.

That’s all for now.

Happy self-experimenting with food and sun and movement!

1 - H. Yoon et al., Multiple sclerosis and gut microbiota: Lachnospiraceae from the ileum of MS twins trigger MS-like disease in germfree transgenic mice-An unbiased functional study,Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.122 (18) e2419689122, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2419689122(2025)

2 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple_sclerosis

3 - iMSMS Consortium. Electronic address: [email protected]; iMSMS Consortium. Gut microbiome of multiple sclerosis patients and paired household healthy controls reveal associations with disease risk and course. Cell. 2022 Sep 15;185(19):3467-3486.e16. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.08.021. PMID: 36113426; PMCID: PMC10143502.

4 - Vacca M, Celano G, Calabrese FM, Portincasa P, Gobbetti M, De Angelis M. The Controversial Role of Human Gut Lachnospiraceae. Microorganisms. 2020 Apr 15;8(4):573. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms8040573. PMID: 32326636; PMCID: PMC7232163

5 - https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/the-gut-brain-connection

6 - Eloisa Salvo-Romero, Patricia Stokes, and Mélanie G. Gareau. 2020. Microbiota-immune interactions: from gut to brain. LymphoSign Journal. 7(1): 1-23. https://doi.org/10.14785/lymphosign-2019-0018

7 - Kenneth J. O’Riordan, Gerard M. Moloney, Lily Keane, Gerard Clarke, John F. Cryan, The gut microbiota-immune-brain axis: Therapeutic implications, Cell Reports Medicine, Volume 6, Issue 3, 2025, 101982, ISSN 2666-3791, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrm.2025.101982.