MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (MS)
2.3
Million people
worldwide have MS
MS is the
#1 cause
of non-traumatic neurological disability in young adults
The prevalence of MS is rising, with roughly
200
new cases
diagnosed each week in the United States
At NYSCF, we focus on the
progressive forms of MS (the forms that gradually worsen over a patient’s lifetime), as they are the most aggressive and do not respond as well to current therapies. In MS, the immune system attacks myelin, the protective coating surrounding our neurons that helps them send signals. Most current treatments target the immune system to stop it from attacking myelin, but this is only part of the puzzle. Healthy Nerve Cell
Signal Protected
Healthy Myelin
Nerve Cell affected by MS
Signal Interfered
Damaged Myelin Exposed Nerve Fiber
Messages from the brain are slowed or blocked
NYSCF was the first to create stem cells from patients with the most severe form of progressive MS. We have developed methods for turning these and other patient stem cells into all of the human brain cell types involved in the disease. This opens the door for a better understanding of what causes MS and the development of more effective therapies.
STEM CELLS ARE THE KEY TO CURING MS STUDYING A HUMAN DISEASE IN HUMAN CELLS Using stem cells, we can generate the actual human brain cells implicated in MS — without invasive surgery. Stem cells give us a living window into how the brain’s major cell types develop and degenerate, just as they do in patients. By generating 3D aggregates of human tissue made from stem cells (called “organoids”), our scientists have access to an unprecedented glimpse into how different cells interact with each other in patient brains, helping identify new targets for therapeutic intervention.
FINDING EFFECTIVE DRUGS TO TREAT MS Most current drugs aim to prevent the immune system from attacking myelin, but curing the disease will require restoring lost myelin so that neurons can effectively communicate. We are creating brain cells from patients with different forms of MS and using them to test drugs with the potential to ‘remyelinate’ neurons. This accelerates drug discovery by identifying drugs that are good candidates for clinical trials.
CURING MS BY FINDING ITS ROOT CAUSE The origins of MS remain a mystery. Stem cells from MS patients give us a unique window into the root causes of different forms of MS, allowing us to observe what triggers the disease’s onset and progression. Understanding what drives the immune system attack and neurodegeneration is helping us discover how to prevent and eventually cure the disease.
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