Regulation of Lipid Metabolism in Autoimmune Disease: Multiple Sclerosis

In Multiple Sclerosis (MS) immune cells recognise myelin, the coating around nerve fibres, as a foreign molecule and attack it by mistake; at the same time regulatory immune cells (which are normally protective) do not work properly and cannot block the harmful effects of the activated immune cells effectively. Immune cells work via a complex system of signals that start on the outside layer of the cell (the plasma membrane), these signals are transmitted inside the cell where they trigger immune cell activation. The plasma membrane consists of a fatty layer and changes in the type of fat in the membrane can affect immune cell signalling and immune cell function. The aims of this project are to: 1. Identify what is different about the types of fat in immune cells from healthy donors and people with MS and identify what triggers the production of these different types of fat. 2. Identify how different types of fat control immune cell function in healthy donors and people with MS 3. Identify possible ways to regulate the type of fat in immune cell membranes to restore normal immune cell function in MS. Methods: This research study involves collecting participant demographic and clinical information, blood and Cerebral Spinal Fluid (CSF) (optional) from patients with MS. Blood will also be collected from healthy volunteers for comparison. Experiments will be performed on the blood samples and the results correlated with the clinical and disease features of patients. Outcomes: Many of the molecules involved in the generation of fats are well known and for some of them drugs are already used in humans to treat diseases (for example statins). This could allow the rapid translation of the results from this study to the clinic and have a direct impact for people with MS.