ACTRIMS 2022 | Crucial findings in progressive MS

Jason Plemel, PhD, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada, discusses crucial findings regarding the immune mechanisms behind neurodegeneration in progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). Results have demonstrated a dysregulation of iron – whereby iron enrichments are apparent in regions of the brain which otherwise would not be there. This is consistent with compartmentalized inflammations lying on the meninges and potential inflammations on the perivascular cuffs. Therefore, suggesting the immune cells are attempting to access the brain. Meningeal inflammations have also been associated with another characteristic trait of progressive MS – the demyelination of the cortex. Furthermore, there is an apparent holistic change in the innate immune response of individuals with progressive MS – yet this is fundamentally still poorly understood. This interview took place at the ACTRIMS Forum 2022 in West Palm Beach, Florida.