focus area: A cure via repair and regeneration
funding type: Project
project type: Investigator Led Research
In multiple sclerosis (MS), the immune system mistakenly attacks the protective covering of nerve fibres in the brain and spinal cord (myelin), causing lesions (damaged areas).
Researchers have observed that, in addition to the inflammation caused when these lesions form, there is also slow, ongoing inflammation around the edges of older chronic lesions. This gradual inflammation contributes to the growth of lesions over time and is linked to disease progression, such as nerve damage, brain shrinkage, and worsening disability.
The researchers believe that this slow, ongoing inflammation at the edges of chronic lesions could be an early sign of more localised inflammation in the brain. They think that promoting the repair of myelin (remyelination) could reduce this inflammation and stop the lesions from expanding, helping protect the nerves from further damage.
The study aims to test how effective remyelination therapies are in preventing damage caused by this slow, ongoing inflammation. The team will analyse brain imaging data from clinical trials of remyelinating drugs to see if they can slow lesion expansion and prevent nerve damage.
By understanding how these therapies work and finding markers to measure their effectiveness, the researchers hope to develop better treatments for people with MS and improve their long-term outcomes.
Professor Alexander Klistorner and his team have made strong early progress in this project, moving from initial setup into active analysis of clinical trial data.
Since the start of the project, the team has secured access to several high‑quality international datasets from clinical trials of remyelination therapies, including the VISIONARY‑MS study (which tested whether a treatment that repairs myelin can slow ongoing brain damage in people with MS), and additional trials from the University of Cambridge. These datasets provide a valuable opportunity to investigate how treatments that repair myelin may affect ongoing damage and lesion growth in the brain.
The team has also completed key technical work to prepare these datasets for analysis. This includes processing brain scans collected over time and identifying areas of damage (lesions) with a high level of accuracy. They have implemented a specialised analytical approach that allows them to track how these lesions change and expand over time.
Using these data, Professor Klistorner and his team have completed initial analyses examining how quickly chronic lesions grow and how this relates to markers of brain damage. Early findings suggest that treatments designed to repair myelin may reduce the expansion of these lesions compared to placebo.
Importantly, this work has also demonstrated that slow lesion growth can be measured reliably using advanced MRI techniques, offering a new way to track disease progression and treatment response over shorter time periods.
The project is now moving into the next phase, where the team will combine data across multiple trials to confirm these findings and explore how remyelination, lesion growth, and long‑term outcomes are linked.
Updated 31 March 2026Â
$250,000
2025
3 years
Current project
