The Science: Discovery Biology
Our discovery biology program is a managed collaboration that brings together Principal Investigators with complementary knowledge in neurobiology, immunology, and myelin research. Their research is organized in a detailed research plan that addresses seven key areas that are believed to hold the answers to myelin repair. The graphic below shows each of the seven key areas and how the expertise of the funded laboratories crosses over from one area to another.
The plan is reviewed and revised annually by a Scientific Advisory Board of senior neuroscientists widely recognized as experts in their fields. The experimental design is informed by our Drug Discovery Advisory Board of experienced “drug hunters” who ensure the clinical relevance of the experiments and help set priorities for further development of the most promising therapeutic targets.
Our discovery biology program funds more than 35 full-time scientists in laboratories at Stanford University, Case Western Reserve University, the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, the University of California, San Francisco and the University of Melbourne and the National Institutes of Health.
Roll over to read more about each area of the research plan.
More about myelin…
What is myelin?
Myelin is the fatty protective coating surrounding nerve fibers of the central nervous system. Because of its role in aiding the conduction of electrical signals among and between neurons in the brain and spinal cord, it is often compared to the insulating material around an electrical wire. Myelin rich “white matter,” constitutes nearly one-half of the human brain.
What is multiple sclerosis?
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurological disease that affects more than 400,000 people in the U.S. and 2.5 million worldwide. In MS, the body’s immune system attacks and destroys myelin in the brain and spinal cord. Though healthy human systems have the natural ability to repair myelin damage, in MS where damage occurs, scars of hardened sclerotic tissue inhibit and/or prevent that process from taking place. Loss of myelin, referred to as demyelination, interferes with the transmission of nerve signals and triggers a wide range of unpredictable symptoms, including blurred vision, loss of balance, poor coordination, slurred speech, tremors, numbness, extreme fatigue, problems with memory and concentration, paralysis, stiffness, bladder problems and blindness. There is no cure for MS. Myelin loss has also been linked to a number of other neurological diseases including Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and depression.
The promise of myelin repair
Today’s approved therapies for Multiple Sclerosis work by suppressing the entire body’s immune system to slow or prevent the immune system from attacking. If successful, the treatments can slow the progression of the disease and severity of the attacks. Immunosuppressant treatments do not repair the myelin damage caused by MS and therefore play no role in restoring the lost function associated with the disease. A treatment that can restore and protect myelin holds promise to restore that lost function.
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Your gift today will help us reach the first myelin repair Phase I Clinical Trial by 2014.
