Effect of natalizumab on the microRNA of regulatory B cells from patients with multiple sclerosis

• Grant number: 23/12232-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: November 01, 2023
• End date: October 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Immunology - Cellular Immunology
• Principal Investigator: Leonilda Maria Barbosa dos Santos
• Grantee: Breno Bandoni Ferrari
• Supervisor: Murugaiyan Gopal
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Harvard University, Boston, United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 19/02547-3 - Subpopulations of B-lymphocytes in patients with primária progressive Multiple Sclerosis in treatment with monoclonal antibody against CD20 (ocrelizumab), BP.DD

Abstract

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system (CNS). The monoclonal antibody Natalizumab (NTZ) is one of the most used treatment for relapsing/remitting MS. It is well described that NTZ acts by stopping leukocytes from infiltrating the CNS and, therefore, avoiding local tissue damage. However, growing pieces of evidence have been showing that part of the NTZ beneficial effect on MS may come from modulation of many sorts of leukocytes, highlighting that plenty of complex mechanisms are involved. In this current PhD program, I have been studying the effect of NTZ-treatment on B regulatory cells. In this BEPE proposal, our aim is to expand the study to the microRNA level. Namely, we intend to analyze whether miR 106a-363 and 17-92 clusters are altered in B regulatory from MS patients treated with NTZ. (AU)