Many organizations have attempted research collaborations involving scientists from around the country or globe, but few have succeeded in making it work like the Myelin Repair Foundation. Its collaboration of neuroscientists studying myelin and myelin's role in multiple sclerosis and other neurological disorders has, in only the first year of the endeavor, produced some amazing discoveries.

“The Myelin Repair Foundation has taken an exciting new approach to the study of multiple sclerosis and other disorders caused by the disruption of the myelin sheath,” says Brian Popko, Ph.D., Jack Miller Professor of Neurological Disorders in the Department of Neurology, and one of five leading neuroscientists on the team. “It has truly been a remarkable experience to work with these other researchers from overlapping fields towards the common goal of solving this problem.”

The team consists of researchers from Northwestern University, Stanford University, McGill University, and Case Western Reserve University who meet together in person twice a year and maintain contact throughout the remainder of the year via video conference calls, telephone conference calls, and almost daily emails.

“We've only been working in this manner for one year, and already we have made great strides in understanding how and why the myelin sheath is disrupted,” Popko explains. “The next step is to figure out how to prevent and reverse this disruption.”

Immunological disorders such as multiple sclerosis and certain diseases of the peripheral nerve disrupt the function of the myelin producing cells, and the premise of Popko's research rests on the idea that there is something about these specific cells that makes them susceptible to immune responses. He and his team found that interferon-gamma, a signaling molecule produced by reactive immune T-cells, creates significant stress on myelin-producing cells, causing the cells to die.

“These results provide us with a framework where we can design strategies to protect these cells, make them less susceptible to the stress response,” says Popko. “This is only one piece of the puzzle, but it's a start.”

Results from this study were published in the May 2005 issue of The Journal of Cell Biology (Vol. 169, No. 4, 630-612).

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