The immunopathology of multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common neurological disease in young adults, afflicting more than 2.5 million people worldwide. However, it remains extremely difficult to diagnose in its earliest stages owing to the complex nature of initial symptoms. Furthermore, treatment options are constrained by our lack of understanding of what causes MS and the biological events that that may change in patients over time. Together, a significant delay in starting treatment and a lack of appropriate treatment options means that most patients experience cumulative and long-term disability. Accordingly, our research aims to study this complex disease by exploring the role of immune cells at different disease stages and under different conditions, as well as how they interact with cells within the brain and spinal cord. As treatments based on genetic associations are twice as likely to prove successful, data obtained from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) will form an integral part of our research platform. As part of a highly collaborative team of scientists and clinicians based at a world-leading university research hospital, we aim to dissect the underlying processes that control how the immune system behaves in patients at different stages of disease and how this affects cells within the brain and spinal cord. In combination with our genetic insights and experimental models, we aim to harness this new knowledge to discover better and safer treatment options for patients.