Demyelinating diseases involve damage to the myelin sheath of neurons in either the peripheral or central nervous system. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, potentially debilitating disease that affects the myelin sheath of the central nervous system. The illness is believed to be an autoimmune disease. In MS the body directs antibodies and white blood cells against proteins in the myelin sheath surrounding nerves in the brain and spinal cord. This causes inflammation and injury to the myelin sheath. Demyelination is the term used for a loss of myelin, a substance in the white matter that insulates nerve endings. Myelin helps the nerves receive and interpret messages from the brain at maximum speed. When nerve endings lose this substance, they cannot function properly, leading to patches of scarring, or “sclerosis.” The result may be multiple areas of sclerosis. The damage slows or blocks muscle coordination, visual sensation, and other functions that rely on nerve signals.