Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease in which the immune system attacks the brain and spinal cord. Over time, many people with MS enter a progressive phase marked by steady worsening of disability. This decline is largely driven by the loss of nerve cells and their connections. Unfortunately, most current treatments focus on suppressing the immune system and provide little benefit once the disease becomes progressive. We still do not fully understand why nerve cells become vulnerable and die in progressive MS.
This project focuses on identifying natural protective mechanisms within neurons that help them survive stress. We are studying a protein called telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT). TERT is best known for maintaining chromosome ends (telomeres), but recent research shows it also has additional protective roles in nerve cells. It can help defend against oxidative stress, inflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction: all of which contribute to nerve cell damage in MS.
Our preliminary research shows that removing TERT from adult neurons in mice leads to movement problems and signs of nerve cell injury. This suggests that TERT plays an important protective role in the adult brain.
This project will determine how loss of TERT affects neurons, examine TERT levels in progressive MS, and test whether boosting TERT activity can protect nerve cells. By uncovering how neurons naturally resist damage, this research may lead to new treatment strategies aimed at slowing or preventing disability progression in MS.
