Microglia and remyelination in MS

MS is a common neurological disease caused in part by inflammation in the brain and spinal cord. Current MS drugs treat the inflammation and reduce symptoms but do not treat the underlying and ongoing damage to nerves, which can result in functional decline.

Ms Michele Binder and her team discovered that a type of immune cell in the brain (microglia) that expresses an MS risk gene called MERTK, can promote the repair of myelin to protect nerves. Using this finding, Ms Binder and her team aim to develop a novel therapy to minimise the chance of future disability in people with MS.