Grant: Project Grant

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a disease in which the insulation around the nerves, known as myelin, is damaged by the immune system, resulting in loss of muscle control and partial paralysis. The cell type that produces the myelin sheath around the nerve fibers is called the oligodendrocyte. This cell has to undergo morphological changes prior to being able to wrap around the nerve fibers. Our research is directed towards understanding the factors that regulate the steps leading to the morphological changes. We believe that the orchestration of gene networks, rather than single genes, are critical to the progression of oligodendrocytes to becoming myelin-producing factories. We are studying the impact of manipulating specific molecules called microRNAs that have the ability to regulate a specific set of genes implicated in this progression. This is an important step towards the development of better treatments for disorders in which this process is aberrant, such as in MS.