Neuroimmunology

• Prof. Arnon Karni, Lab PI, Director, Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis Unit, Neurology;Dept. of Neurology ;Sagol School of Neuroscience
• Dr. Maya Golan, Lab manager

• Moshe Benhamou, PhD student
• Avivit Krivitsky, MSc student
• Lior Fuchs, MD student

that can affect remyelination failure in MS

We are investigating different factor that may be involved in remyelination failure, by characterizing their expression levels in sera, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells of MS patients subtypes, compared to health controls.  We are further examining these factors involvement in OPCs differentiation in-vitro, their effect on inflammation and on mice demyelinating models.

for a novel regenerative treatment for MS

Factors that are up or down regulated in MS patients and may be involved in remyelination failure, are targeted for high throughput screening (HTS) after new agents that may increase oligodendrocytes differentiation and remyelination. We are developing specific bio-assays for each factor for HTS, and following screening we are further validating the potential heats in the lab.  We are studding these new compounds involvement in OPCs differentiation in-vitro, their effect on inflammation and on mice demyelination models. We have already patented a small molecule that blokes bone morphogeneticprotein (BMP) to induce oligodendrogenesis and remyelination in demyelinating disorders, and we are further studding this molecule.

the mode of action of existing disease modifying drugs

For the last years, many new drugs for MS treatment have been developed. However, most of them are anti-inflammatory and are not directed to remyelination and damage repair. We are studying the effect of these existing modifying therapies for MS on neurotropic and neurodegenerative factors expression, and on oligodendrocytes differentiation, to assess if they also have a regenerative effect.