Detecting and stopping hidden progression of MS

Summary

Progression of MS can at times be subtle and can be initially missed by doctors and patients alike. It is not uncommon that while MS may seem on the surface to be appropriately controlled, the condition is deteriorating quietly in the background. Once this silent deterioration manifests as worsening of disability, it is typically too late to reverse the loss of function. 

This program revolves around detection, measurement and treatment of subtle progression of MS, especially amongst patients who are at the highest risk of silent deterioration of their disease. The project will first develop and validate a set of markers (clinical assessments, specialised investigations and biological markers) that will be sensitive enough to detect subtle changes in people with seemingly well-controlled MS. Second, it will develop a new method for monitoring the activity of the immune system within the brain. This method will first be validated in laboratory models and then translated to use in humans. Third, the program will develop a promising treatment for progressive MS called PEGylated-GAS6. This molecule modifies the behaviour of the immune system within the brain.  

The completed research will set the scene for translating this treatment into a research program offered to people living with MS - a first-in-human randomised clinical trial of PEGylated-GAS6.