T cell apoptosis in multiple sclerosis and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis [ 2000 - 2002 ]

Research Grant

Researchers: Prof Michael Pender (Principal investigator)

Brief description Multiple sclerosis is a disease of the nervous system and is a common cause of disability in young adults. There is increasing evidence that multiple sclerosis is caused by repeated attacks on the nervous system by the white blood cells (lymphocytes) of the body's own immune system. A major unanswered question in multiple sclerosis is why repeated immune attacks on the nervous system occur. I have recently proposed that the repeated nature of the immune attacks in multiple sclerosis results from a failure of the mechanism that switches off immune attacks on the nervous system in healthy individuals. In an animal model of multiple sclerosis we have shown that the lymphocytes attacking the nervous system rapidly commit suicide in the nervous system by a process known as apoptosis, and that this is associated with switching off of the immune attack and recovery from the disease. The present project aims to study further this process of lymphocyte suicide in experimental animals by determining whether the lymphocyte suicide is mediated through a death receptor molecule named Fas (CD95). The project will also investigate the process of lymphocyte suicide in white blood cells obtained from patients with multiple sclerosis to determine if this process is defective and to determine whether these patients have abnormalities in the Fas molecular pathway. This project will shed light on the question of why repeated immune attacks on the nervous system occur in multiple sclerosis, and has the potential to lead to the development of new treatments for multiple sclerosis.

Funding Amount $AUD 299,950.17

Funding Scheme NHMRC Project Grants

Notes Standard Project Grant