MS Research Australia offers vital funding for new treatments

L-R: Dr Mastura Monif, A/Prof Anneke van der Walt, Dr Lisa Grech

Three Monash Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences researchers - Dr Mastura Monif, Associate Professor Anneke Van Der Walt (both in Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School) and Dr Lisa Grech (Department of Medicine, Monash Health) - have received funding grants as part of MS Research Australia’s $2.9M funding boost, which will help uncover new ways to investigate, manage and treat multiple sclerosis (MS). See more about their grants below.

MS is a complex condition of the central nervous system, interfering with nerve impulses within the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. It affects over 25,600 people in Australia.

Monash University success in multiple sclerosis grants

L-R: Professor Anneke van der Walt, Dr Wei Yeh and Dr Steven Petratos

Multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic degenerative disease interfering with the central nervous system’s ability to send messages from the brain to the body, is the most common neurological disease affecting young adults. It affects more than 25,000 Australians and is on the rise.

Central Clinical School researchers have scooped two Multiple Sclerosis Research Australia Trish Translational Research Grants and one Postgraduate Scholarship this year.

MS Research Australia grant for new drug

Dr Petratos in the lab

Backdated congratulations go to Dr Steven Petratos, whose grant from MS Research Australia was announced whilst the CCS Communications team was still settling in after the Summer break.

Dr Petratos works within the Department of Immunology and Pathology, and his research has explored ways to prevent nerve damage. Myelin is an insulating layer or sheath that forms around nerve fibres in the brain and spine, providing protection and longevity. His team has developed a drug called DITPA, which mimics the activity of a protein called MCT8, vital in the production of myelin.

Video of the Week: Dr Steven Petratos

Still of Steven Petratos and his group from the video

Dr Steven Petratos, head of the Regenerative Neuroscience and Development Laboratory discusses his laboratory's recent discovery of a novel drug that could potentially help patients with Secondary Progressive MS, the stage that follows relapse and remission.

Video: https://youtu.be/tUJPy1ABZxw
Article: http://ccsmonash.blogspot.com.au/2018/01/molecule-may-help-halt-ms-progression.html#more

Molecule may help halt MS progression, says Monash scientist

Dr Steven Petratos 

by Anne Crawford

Monash University researchers are set to conduct a large study into a drug that may thwart the progression of Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

The preclinical study, led by Dr Steven Petratos from the Department of Neuroscience, was given the go-ahead after MS Research Australia announced a $70,000 grant to support it. If successful, clinical trials would follow.

Photo of the week: Red Lab Coat Day

Research groups throughout Australia participated in the Red Lab Coat Day activities on 1 May. They were organized by MS Research Australia to raise the profile of  and funding for research on multiple sclerosis. See more photos of the various groups on Twitter using the hashtag #kissmsgoodbye . Within Central Clinical School, Dr Steven Petratos (pictured above with his research group) is investigating stem cell therapies for various brain disorders including multiple sclerosis.

Congratulations to Dr Steven Petratos for his $160,000 MS Research Australia grant!

The Petratos group are investigating stem cell therapies for brain
disorders. See more

Congratulations to Dr Steven Petratos, whose project has received full funding support from the Trish MS Research Foundation of $160,000 across two years, 2016-2017. The topic of his study is "Targeting axonal degeneration in a model of multiple sclerosis".

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is commonly induced by the specific destruction of the protective sheath of nerve fibres, known as myelin, by immune cells, which mistakenly attack this structure. However, it has been shown that MS does not only consist of this disease pattern but is a multifactorial disease with continual destruction of the nerve fibres even without large numbers of immune cells invading the brain and the spinal cord.

Importantly, the molecules which may contribute or initiate such damage in MS are becoming known and by targeting these molecules during MS it may be possible to limit the destruction which occurs to nerve fibres in the brain and spinal cord, promoting a better clinical outcome for individuals suffering with MS.