Approved Research

Immune mechanisms behind multiple sclerosis (MS) - Is clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) genetically associated with MS?

Lay summary

According to a recent epidemiology survey, a total of 2.8 million people are estimated to live with MS worldwide in 2020. The prevalence of MS is higher in Northern Europe, North America, Australia, and New Zealand, and females are twice as likely to live with MS as males. Individuals with severe MS may lose their ability to walk independently or ambulate at all. Other individuals may experience long periods of remission without any new symptoms depending on the type of MS they have.

MS is characterized by immune dysregulation, which results in the infiltration of the central nervous system by immune cells. In MS, the immune system attacks the protective sheath (myelin) that covers nerve fibers and causes communication problems between the brain and the rest of the body. Previous studies have shown that bone marrow hematopoiesis-associated immune responses are associated with the development of MS. In this study, we hypothesize that the clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential, or CHIP - a common aging-related phenomenon that raises hematologic diseases and immune dysregulation, is associated with MS.

In the time span of three years, we will investigate if CHIP is genetically associated with MS, and if central nervous diseases represented by MS are also associated with cerebrovascular diseases. Our findings could deepen our understanding of the immune mechanisms of MS and facilitate drug discovery and therapeutic strategy development in MS, which can help in disease treatment and reduce the economic burden.