Speaker: Andrew V. Caprariello, Ph.D.
Title: Brain-localized triggers of myelin autoimmunity: from human to mouse and back again
Abstract: The biological basis of aberrant immune attacks on brain targets—the hallmark feature of multiple sclerosis (MS)—remains unresolved and hotly debated. Convention holds that inherent defects in immune regulation cause attacks on otherwise-healthy brain tissue. That the converse may also be true—that destabilized CNS myelin elicits secondary autoimmunity—remains unproven but carries important therapeutic implications. In this talk, I will present proof-of-concept evidence of brain-induced autoimmunity in an original animal model I termed “CAE”, together with future plans for translation to those living with MS. In the first part of my talk, I will present how CAE recapitulates several MS-salient features, including acute inflammation and chronic tissue atrophy, the combination of which eludes animal models. In the second part of my talk, I will discuss plans for using CAE as a platform for unraveling the complex disease biologies of MS with the ultimate goal being to identify novel biomarkers and brain-localized drug targets designed to halt the progression of the most common non-traumatic neurological disorder.
Bio: Andrew V. Caprariello is a postdoctoral fellow with Peter Stys at the University of Calgary’s Hotchkiss Brain Institute. Prior to his stint in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies, he completed his Ph.D. in Cell Physiology in the laboratory of Bob Miller at Case Western Reserve University. With expertise ranging from myelin biology to imaging spectroscopy to immunology, his multidisciplinary research program is uniquely positioned to tackle unresolved questions about the origins of disorders involving white matter inflammation, particularly multiple sclerosis.