Anti-viral cellular responses as a biomarker in MS: a pilot study (V1)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Anti-viral cellular responses as a biomarker in MS: a pilot study
IRAS ID
190764
Contact name
Stephen Todryk
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Northumbria University
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 1 days
Research summary
Summary of Research
Untreated multiple sclerosis (MS) has a variable but unpredictable course. Over the last ten years, a number of disease modifying therapies have become available but their use, particularly for more aggressive immunomodulatory treatments,, is limited by infective and autoimmune complications. Determining before, or early in the course of treatment, who is going to need an aggressive therapy, and who might respond, would be helped by use of biomarkers, allowing us to target therapies more effectively. It is known that the immune system in MS shows generalised dysregulaton, which progresses with the disease. Abnormal responses to specific self-antigens have been demonstrated. The role of viruses in susceptibility to the disease and in triggering relapses is well accepted.
We aim to characterise in detail the responses of T and B cells from people with MS in laboratory tests of their response to viral and self antigens, looking at changes in cell surface markers and secreted cytokines. We hypothesise that the multiple parameters assessed will allow distinct profiles to be recognised. We aim, in this pilot study, to establish if there are recognisable differences between people with MS and healthy controls, between people with early and late disease and among groups on commonly used therapies. If we can show that differences exist, this will provide justification for larger longitudinal studies looking at the predicative value of these tests in determining disease progression and response to treatment. The study will be done as a collaboration between the MS clinic at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle and Northumbria University. People with MS will need to give one blood sample only, and the samples will be processed, stored and analysed at the Department of Immunology at Northumbria University. We will be able to complete this work in a maximum of 12 months.
Summary of Results
This project was a study of patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), a disease where the immune system attacks and destroys nerve tissue – a process known as autoimmunity (that also occurs in diseases including Rheumatoid Arthritis and Type 1 Diabetes). It has been reported in many scientific research papers that people who carry the Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) are more likely to develop MS. This may be because the immune system’s response to EBV is wrongly directed towards nerve tissue. This project was a small study which aimed to collect a small amount of data, “pilot data”, that would be used to put together an application for funding for a larger study. This small study was supported by funds that our team had already, which was earmarked for such work. 40 people volunteered and gave their consent to be recruited into the study, and comprised 30 with various presentations of MS; as well as 10 healthy people for comparison. All these people gave a small amount of blood (20mls) in which immune responses were measured in our laboratory. Immune responses were measured successfully for all participants, confirming the capabilities of the lab. The data generated did not show any significant patterns, but gave a suggestion that important cells of the immune system, T cells, differed between patients with different severity of MS, and were different from healthy people. Thus, pilot data was successfully generated that provides the basis for an application for funding for a larger study to the UKRI (UK Research & Innovation), the government funding body.
REC name
HSC REC A
REC reference
16/NI/0085
Date of REC Opinion
24 May 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion