# Autoimmunity to Axoglial Apparatus Proteins in Multiple Sclerosis

> **NIH NIH K08** · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · 2020 · $196,020

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
This K08 career development award will facilitate the development of the PI into a clinician-scientist with an
independent research program focused on humoral and cellular immunity of MS and other neurological
disorders. The PI and her coworkers have recently reported on the prevalence and mechanisms antibodies to
axoglial antigens in neurological diseases, e.g. CIDP and autoimmune encephalitis (Patterson et al. 2018,
Burnor et al., 2018). This work demonstrates functional and structural consequences of autoimmunity to the
axoglial apparatus in the pathogenesis of neurological diseases. The scientific program in this grant expands
on this prior work, focusing axoglial autoimmunity in MS, an exciting new avenue of research with the potential
to explain the dual pathology of both myelin and underlying axons in MS, as well as the substantial
heterogeneity in the clinical course and outcomes that exists across patients.
The
modulating
more
study are to: (1) test
matched
frequencies
as
MRI
trajectories
central hypothesis of this proposal is that autoimmunity to the axoglial apparatus plays a role in
MS pathogenesis and that patients with autoimmunity to the axoglial apparatus will experience
severe axonal loss and consequently higher r ate s of brain atrophy .
whether MS patients are more likely to have axoglial autoantibodies compared to age-
healthy controls and controls with other inflammatory neurological diseases, (2) enumerate the
 and proinf lammatory potential of axoglial- reactive T cells in MS patients versus controls, and (3)
a proof of principle, axoglial autoimmunity will be measured in subsets of MS patients defined based on
measures of differing rates of atrophy to test the hypothesis that axoglial autoimmunity correlates with
of brain atrophy.
The objectives of the proposed
These studies will lead to not only a better understanding of the pathogenesis
and heterogeneity that exists in the spectrum of MS but also develop
specific
for
tools to better monitor relevant antigen-
responses and potentially to better prognosticate and possibly revisit more individualized strategies
antigen-specific therapies.
The PI will be guided by three mentors with distinct areas of expertise that are necessary to complete this
project. Dr. Bar-Or is a world
regulation
expert in molecular and cellular immunology studying the principles of immune
and immune neural interactions in MS;Dr. Scherer is an expert on the molecular organization of
myelinated axons; and Dr. Lancaster is a leading expert in the field CNS autoimmunity, and particularly of
antibody-mediated neurological diseases with extensive experience in the discovery of novel autoantigens,
including axoglial apparatus molecules.
A training plan to assist the PI in developing new research skills is an integral part of this application. In
addition to completing the proposed research, the applicant will engage in a rigorous program of didactic
courses and mentoring by experts in cellul...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9925282
- **Project number:** 5K08NS112576-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
- **Principal Investigator:** Kristina Rae Patterson
- **Activity code:** K08 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $196,020
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-07-01 → 2024-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9925282

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9925282, Autoimmunity to Axoglial Apparatus Proteins in Multiple Sclerosis (5K08NS112576-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9925282. Licensed CC0.

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