# Immunoregulation in CNS remyelination

> **NIH NIH R01** · GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $340,156

## Abstract

Project Summary
Failure to regenerate myelin in multiple sclerosis (MS) contributes to progressive axonal loss
and accumulated disability. We have previously found that interleukin-four induced one (IL4i1),
a macrophage-secreted immunoregulatory enzyme that serves to breakdown L-amino acids,
modulates inflammation to promote remyelination in the mouse central nervous system (CNS).
Moreover, we found that IL4i1 promotes remyelination by reducing pro-inflammatory CD4+ Th1
and Th17 cell activity in CNS lesions. Exactly how IL4i1 exerts its effect on the lesion
microenvironment during remyelination remains unknown. However, the requirement for IL4i1 in
remyelination suggests that a previously unknown mechanism involving amino acid metabolism
operates in CNS lesions to control inflammation and promote repair. Here, we hypothesize that
the regulation of amino acid metabolism in CNS lesions is critical for remyelination success. To
this end, we will profile the levels of amino acids in CNS lesions over the course of
remyelination by mass spectrometry analysis (Aim 1), determine if amino acid transport is
required to regulate inflammation and remyelination (Aim 2), and determine if modulators of
amino acid metabolism affects remyelination efficiency (Aim 3). The results of this study, if
successful, will elucidate the role of amino acid metabolism on immune cells in CNS
remyelination, and lead to future studies on modulators of amino acid metabolism as potential
therapeutics for improving remyelination in MS.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10166968
- **Project number:** 5R01NS107523-04
- **Recipient organization:** GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Jeffrey K Huang
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $340,156
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-07-01 → 2023-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10166968

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10166968, Immunoregulation in CNS remyelination (5R01NS107523-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10166968. Licensed CC0.

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