2021 Seed Grant
Ethan G. Hughes, Ph.D.
University of Colorado
Can the adult brain regenerate? Finding the answer to this question is an overarching goal of the field of neuroscience. Recently, Dr. Hughes’ laboratory found a new type of regeneration in the adult brain. This regeneration is driven by mature oligodendrocytes, the myelinating cells of the central nervous system (CNS). However, whether this process can be used to promote recovery of patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is unclear. This proposal will use a combination of advanced imaging, a clinically-relevant demyelination model, and single cell RNA sequencing guided by lineage-mapping, to understand the cell biology underlying mature oligodendrocyte regeneration. Results from this program will provide insights into whether specific genetic pathways within mature oligodendrocytes can be targeted to promote recovery from MS, a debilitating neurological disorder that affects millions of people worldwide.
