Grant: Project Grant

Damage to the brain's white matter which contains nerve fibers wrapped in protective myelin, is a major cause of long-term physical and cognitive disability. This damage can occur in diseases such as multiple sclerosis or after events like stroke. Unfortunately, there are currently very few treatments that can either slow myelin loss or effectively promote its regeneration. New strategies to trigger the brain's own repair processes are urgently needed. Our research focuses on an innovative approach: using clinically relevant targeted electrical stimulation (ES) to "activate" the resident neural precursor cells. Electrical stimulation results in an increase in the numbers of precursors, and their movement toward injured areas where they turn into mature neural cell types. Importantly, we recently demonstrated that ES can activate oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) which are the cells responsible for generating new myelin-forming oligodendrocytes. This affords an exciting opportunity to utilize ES for the treatment of white matter injury and/or disease such as multiple sclerosis. In this project, will determine the optimal ES settings that effectively activate OPCs and promote repair. We will develop new "dual-purpose" electrodes made from soft, biocompatible aerogels that can both deliver stimulation and record brain activity enabling us to monitor recovery over time at both the cellular level and with behavioural outcomes as measures of success. Hence, our interdisciplinary expertise in regenerative medicine, materials science, and biomedical engineering will allow us to design advanced "electroceuticals" that not only stimulate repair but also monitor healing in real time. This work could open the door to new therapies for brain injuries and diseases that damage myelin, offering hope for restoring function and improving quality of life.