Research summary
Demyelinating diseases are conditions that cause damage to the protective covering (myelin sheath) that surrounds the nerve fibres in your brain. Two examples of these diseases are multiple sclerosis and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein-associated disease. Emerging evidence suggests that these syndromes lead to extensive damage near the brain’s surface. Dr. Giulia Fadda, Canada Research Chair in Inflammation, Infection and Immunity, is investigating the mechanisms that drive these disorders, with a particular focus on the role of the cerebrospinal fluid surrounding the brain.
Through a combination of biological, imaging and clinical methods, she and her research team are studying the composition of cerebrospinal fluid, characterizing the tissue abnormalities where the brain and cerebrospinal fluid meet, and correlating these findings with patients’ symptoms. By doing so, Fadda and her team are helping to identify new disease biomarkers and drug targets to treat patients who suffer from demyelinating syndromes.