Project R-4722

Plant sterols: potent inducers of remyelination in Multiple Sclerosis? (Research)

The aim of my study is to elucidate how dietary intake of plant sterols modulates repair of damaged central nervous systems (CNS) and thereby the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS). MS is a chronic autoimmune disease of the CNS that affects 1 in 1000 young adults in the prime of their life. MS is featured by immune cell mediated destruction of the insulating myelin sheath around neuronal processes (demyelination). To date, no effective cure is available and current treatments only target initial disease stages while repair of effected/damaged sites is not possible yet. Plant sterols are the plant analogues of mammalian cholesterol. Interestingly, recent data show that plant sterol intake significantly ameliorates the clinical outcome in an animal model for MS. Plant sterols are known to activate the liver X receptors (LXRs). LXRs are key regulators of the cellular sterol metabolism, necessary in repair of damaged myelin sheets (remyelination). To study the protective effects of plant sterols I make use of the cuprizone model, a well-characterized animal model to study de- and remyelination. Importantly, the data obtained are validated in human MS tissue samples. Results from my innovative study in the emerging field of nutritional neuroscience will ultimately reveal the potency of plant sterol intake to boost repair processes in the brain, which has important implications for the treatment of MS and other demyelinating diseases.

01 October 2013 - 30 September 2014