Department of Microbiology & Immunology Seminar: “Immune Cell Reprogramming in CNS Myelin Repair: Implications for Multiple Sclerosis Therapy”

Speaker:
Jeffrey K. Huang, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Biology
Georgetown University

Location: Med-Dent NE301 and via Zoom

Abstract:
Inflammatory microglia in chronic active smoldering lesions are associated with remyelination failure and increased disability in multiple sclerosis (MS). Through genetic and pharmacological approaches, we found that inhibition of amino acid transport results in significantly reduced inflammatory microglial activation in lesions, leading to increased mature oligodendrocytes and remyelination. Single nuclear RNA-seq analysis of lesions revealed pharmacological inhibition of amino acid transport altered the lesion cellular composition, including increased regeneration-associated microglia and newly generated oligodendrocyte subpopulations. Moreover, therapeutic inhibition of amino acid transport in mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) resulted in decreased clinical severity. Our work suggests inhibiting amino acid transport promotes a favorable microenvironment for remyelination, which has implications for the development of novel therapeutics for improving lesion repair in MS.

Sponsored by the Georgetown University Department of Microbiology & Immunology