Defining roles of TRAIL in MS

Dr Lisa Sedger

Westmead Millennium Institute

January 2007

specialisation: Genetics

focus area: Causes and Prevention

funding type: Project

project type: Investigator Led Research

Summary

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurological disease affecting young adults, and it has established autoimmune and environmental components.  We aim to define a role for Vitamin D in regulating expression of key molecules affecting both immune cells and central nervous system cells, and thereby to identify processes that are important in MS susceptibility and disease progression.

Outcome

  1. We have characterised the regulator regions of genes encoding death-inducing cytokines and their receptors and shown that the TRAIL gene in particular, responds to vitamin D and cytokines.
  2. We have shown that death-inducing cytokines are regulated by IFNb, and vitamin D; the implication being that expression of these genes impacts on MS disease severity and treatment responses.
  3. We have demonstrated that Vitamin D treatment profoundly alleviates neurological symptoms in a mouse model.

lead investigator

Dr Lisa Sedger

total funding

$120,000

start year

2007

duration

2 years

STATUS

Past project

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Defining roles of TRAIL in MS