Mechanisms of innate immune-glial cell crosstalk in progressive MS

Start Term
End Term
Affiliation(s)
University of Toronto
Geographic Region(s) / Province(s)
Ontario
Researcher(s)
Dr. Jennifer Gommerman
Research Priorities
Progressive MS
Impact Goal(s)
Understand and Halt Disease Progression

Funding Amount: 675,000 Euros

  • Summary:

    Cognitive dysfunction in progressive MS has been associated with damage to the hippocampus region of the brain.

  • Dr. Jennifer Gommerman and team have previously linked the involvement of complement factor “C3” (a protein that plays a role in the immune system) with demyelination and nerve fibre damage in the hippocampus. In this study, the researchers aim to further uncover the mechanisms that lead to hippocampus damage in progressive MS, including identifying the source and pathological role of C3 in the brain.
  • This research has the potential to improve our understanding of neurodegeneration in people with progressive MS.

Project Description:

People living with progressive MS can experience major changes in cognition, including memory impairments, attention deficits, and slowed processing speeds. While there is no single brain region responsible for all cognitive changes in MS, studies on MS brain tissues have shown that severe damage to a specialized brain region called the hippocampus may explain some of the cognitive dysfunction experienced by people with progressive MS.

In this study, Dr. Jennifer Gommerman and team will build on findings from their previous Progressive MS Alliance award where they found that complement factor “C3” – a protein that plays a role in the immune system – is associated with demyelination and nerve fibre damage in the hippocampus of people with progressive MS. The researchers aim to identify how C3 is produced in the brain and the mechanisms in which C3 contributes to hippocampus damage, using brain tissues from people with progressive MS and a unique mouse model of MS (experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis or EAE) that exhibits brain inflammation and damage to the hippocampus.

Potential Impact:

The findings of this study will improve our understanding of neurodegeneration and potentially identify new targets for slowing down or preventing cognitive dysfunction in people with progressive MS.

Project Status: In Progress