Novel eye research into multiple sclerosis

Dr Peter van Wijngaarden received the $18,000 grant from MS Research Australia as previous research has shown that MS affects the visual pathway to the brain. However, there are no laboratory models for the condition despite research indicating people with MS have been diagnosed with optic neuritis.“MS Research Australia is very pleased to be supporting this important research. Therapies to promote myelin repair are a critical priority for people with MS, and we look forward to seeing the outcomes of this important new line of research,” MS Research Australia CEO Mr Matthew Miles said.The funding will support the extension of van Wijngaarden’s post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Cambridge (UC), which focused on regeneration of the central nervous syst post injury to myelin.“By its very nature, incubator funding allows us to bark on innovative research that might not attract funding under conventional funding sches. The work will provide insights into the mechanisms of injury and repair in MS and may serve as a useful model in which to test therapies that aim to enhance regeneration of the central nervous syst, with the aim of improving outcomes for people with this disease,” van Wijngaarden said.The visual pathway in the brain is often affected in MS and measuring damage via the visual syst is attractive. The ability to correlate the loss of visual function, measured with routine eye tests, with non-invasive markers of structural change is a major advantage of studies of the visual syst.According to van Wijngaarden, a rich population of cells with st cell-like properties migrate to injured areas affected by MS and are then converted to myelin-forming oligodendrocytes, which then trigger the repair process.However, the process declines over time and leads to the loss of neurons and irreversible neurological deficits. It means the healing cells eventually start to fail to respond to the injury, despite their continued presence.By developing a laboratory model for MS-like injuries in the optic nerve, the researchers should be able to study the natural repair process and gain insights in developing treatments to enhance the repair process.The research will also investigate contribution myelin loss has on the neuronal injury that takes place in MS.Van Wijngaarden will be collaborating with Dr Tobias Merson from Monash Univeristy and Department of Optometry Associate Professor Bang Bui from the University of Melbourne for the study.