Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease that damages myelin, the protective coating around nerves in the brain and spinal cord. This damage disrupts nerve signals and causes various neurological symptoms. Currently, no treatment can fully protect or repair myelin effectively. Dr Monokesh Sen and his team are researching how certain immune cells (microglia and macrophages) support myelin-producing cells (oligodendrocytes), which are essential for myelin repair. The team believes that small particles released by these immune cells, called extracellular vesicles (EVs), play a critical role in this process.
Dr Sen’s project is investigating how EVs produced by microglia/macrophages (MEVs) might help communicate with and support oligodendrocytes. The team are collecting blood samples from both people with MS and without MS, and isolating specific immune cells to generate macrophages in the lab. The MEVs released from these lab-grown macrophages will be collected and their proteins and lipids (fats) analysed. By comparing MEVs from people with MS and without MS, Dr Sen hopes to identify potential biological markers (biomarkers) related to MS severity.
The team will also study how MEVs influence the growth and maturation of oligodendrocytes in lab settings and in laboratory models of MS. This research aims to provide new insights into the underlying processes that promote myelin repair, leading to future treatments that help people with MS rebuild damaged myelin and improve their symptoms.
Good progress has been made in developing and refining methods to study EVs in MS.
Dr Sen’s team has developed and refined a method to grow macrophages from blood samples collected from people with and without MS, confirming the identity of these cells using established markers.
They have also compared different methods for isolating MEVs and found a newer technique, called Exodus, produced the most EVs and proteins.
Using these methods, the team analysed EVs from a small group of people with and without MS and found differences in the proteins they carry. Many of these proteins are linked to cell communication, immune responses, and blood clotting, suggesting EVs may play an important role in MS.
These results have already supported further research, including an Honours project that will continue as a PhD project. The team also plans to publish these findings in peer-reviewed journals as a method paper.
The study is now being expanded to include a larger group of participants to confirm these findings and refine the best methods for analysing EVs. Future work will also examine the impact of EVs on remyelination and explore their potential as targets for new MS therapies.
Updated 31 March 2026Â
$225,000
2025
3 years
Current project
