6. Research into the genetic and hereditary aspects of MS and remyelination.
Projects
The role of genetic code on MS disease trajectories
RESEARCHERS – Inge R. Holtman, Bart Eggen, Erik Boddeke, Inge Huitinga
PROJECT: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is highly variable in how it manifests and progresses. Two people with MS at similar early stages can experience very different disease courses, while two others at different early stages may follow similar trajectories. At present, we do not fully understand this diversity, making it difficult to predict how the disease will progress for an individual patient.
Currently, around two hundred locations in the genome have been identified that influence the risk of developing MS. However, it is largely unknown how these genetic loci affect susceptibility to MS and its disease course. To better understand how an individual’s genetic code affects the brain, we have developed a research plan for ‘the Netherlands Neurogenomics Database’ in collaboration with the Netherlands Brain Bank (NBB).
In this project, we combine clinical parameters, neuropathological information, and genetic background from a large number of donors with various brain diseases, including MS. Using this database, we investigate the molecular and genetic mechanisms underlying MS to understand the sources of disease course variability and, ultimately, to improve prediction.
Donors to the NBB are incredibly important and enable us to carry out this research. They are the true heroes of this and many other projects!
Genetic predisposition in MS explained: Searching for the key genes for MS in the cells that matter
RESEARCHERS – Aaron Daniel Ramirez-Sanches, Iris Jonkers, Karim Kreft, Jan Meilof
PROJECT: MS is largely influenced by our hereditary/genetic material (DNA). Multiple regions in the DNA are involved in the development of MS, but it is still unclear how these regions act and which ones are truly important.
In this project, we will examine the building blocks within these regions and investigate what problems these altered building blocks cause in the cells and organs crucial for MS: the immune system and the cells of the brain and spinal cord. We will do this using a new method called SuRE-SNP. SuRE-SNP can determine which specific DNA building blocks are important in different cell types, including immune and brain cells. This reveals the mechanisms affected by these building blocks, allowing us to determine with much greater precision their consequences and how they contribute to the development of MS.
Using existing genetic data from a large group of people, we will identify all genes involved in MS disease processes and test their role in the functioning of key cells. In this way, we can map the effects of the genetic building blocks important for MS with unprecedented precision and identify new strategies to treat the disease.
Financial contribution from Stichting MS Research (19-1060)
