Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the central nervous system (CNS). It is characterised by two pathological features - inflammation, the infiltration of the CNS by circulating white blood cells and consequent activation of resident CNS cells, and demyelination, the destruction of the myelin sheath that surrounds nerve axons and facilitates the conductance of nerve impulses. Researchers at the Open University use a variety of in vitro approaches to investigate the cellular mechanisms behind these pathological processes and to explore the potential for therapeutic intervention and repair of the damaged CNS in this devastating condition. The properties of the blood-brain barrier (the interface between the blood and the CNS and the site of infiltration of inflammatory cells in MS) are modelled in a system that uses a human brain endothelial cell line, allowing the investigation of inflammatory mechanisms. 3-dimensional myelinating cultures are used to model myelin formation and demyelination in vitro. A better understanding of the complex process of myelin formation will help to identify targets for therapeutic intervention to encourage repair in demyelinated lesions in MS, and our systems are valuable test-beds for the development of such therapies. For more details see the research pages of Jane Loughlin, Nacho Romero and David Male.
