Project R-4703

Ephrins and their receptors are crucial for the recruitment of pathogenic TH17 cells to the central nervous system in multiple sclerosis patients (Research)

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the brain and spinal cord. Currently, over 2 million people worldwide suffer from this disease, with women having 50% more chance of developing MS than men. The average age of disease onset is around 30 years, so MS typically presents itself as a disease of young adults. Symptoms of MS include visual problems, muscle weakness, fatigue, and even emotional and cognitive disturbances. In the central nervous system, the blood brain barrier (BBB) normally limits the infiltration of immune cells. In MS however, immune cells invade the brain and then attack and damage important brain cells. This in turn will lead to a dysfunction in the conductance of brain signals from nerve to nerve, causing the well known MS symptoms. It is unclear what factors enable pathogenic immune cells to cross the BBB and enter the brain of MS patients. In this project, I will investigate the contribution of certain molecules, called ephrins and Eph receptors, in the migration of immune cells into the brain. I hypothesize that the ephrin/Eph system is crucial for the entry of immune cells into the inflamed brain, and that this system is a potential therapeutic target. The therapeutic potential will be investigated by interfering with the ephrin/Eph system in an animal model of MS. This research will therefore help us understand more about the disease, and might lead to a new therapeutic target.

01 October 2013 - 30 September 2016