How does vitamin D change gene responses in immune cells?

Summary

It is well documented that people with MS follow a distinctive geographical gradient, with a higher frequency of disease seen in areas with lower sun exposure, and is thought to be a protective factor against MS. It remains unclear, however, how vitamin D exerts these protective effects.

The aim of Ms Vuong’s vacation scholarship is to investigate the B immune cell, which is known to cause inflammation, in order to determine if vitamin D changes the levels of gene expression. Over the ten-week scholarship, this project will use B cells from people who do not have MS, and will test how exposure to different concentrations of vitamin D changes the levels of B cell genes known as STAMBPL1 and CCDC109A.

By understanding how vitamin D changes immune cells, this project aims to gain insight into how low vitamin D levels contribute to MS risk.

Updated: 1 March 2016