Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease that affects the brain, leading to difficulties with movement, thinking, and mood. While current treatments help reduce relapses, they often fail to prevent the steady worsening of disability that many people with MS experience over time. This research focuses on a critical but overlooked part of the brain—the ependyma, a thin layer of cells lining the fluid-filled spaces deep inside the brain. Recent discoveries suggest that in MS, harmful antibodies in the spinal fluid may damage these ependymal cells, contributing to the progression of disability. Understanding this process could lead to new treatments that protect the brain and slow or even reverse MS progression, offering hope for those living with the disease. The goal of this study is to determine how antibodies in the spinal fluid of people with MS affect ependymal cells and contribute to brain damage. We suspect that these antibodies, which are produced by the immune system, may be a major factor in the progression of MS. Using spinal fluid and antibodies already collected from people with MS, we will conduct experiments using lab-grown ependymal cells and mice to test how MS antibodies affect the brain. We will expose ependymal cells to MS spinal fluid antibodies and measure changes in cell health, structure, and function. In animal studies, we will inject MS antibodies into the brains of mice to observe long-term effects on ependymal cells, brain tissue, and behavior. This will help us understand how antibody damage might lead to MS symptoms like memory problems or depression. This research could change how we think about and treat MS progression. Our goal is to turn these discoveries into real-world therapies—giving people with MS more years of independence and a better quality of life.
