A research team from Menzies Institute for Medical Research has received $397,626 in funding from MS Australia to investigate new ways to slow the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS).
The project, led by Professor Kaylene Young, will explore ways of improving blood flow to the brain, to help protect nerve cells and reduce disability in people with MS.
MS is a disease that damages myelin, the protective coating of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, leading to problems with movement, sensation, and other functions.
In MS, blood flow to the brain is reduced, even before symptoms appear, and this may be linked to genetic factors. Healthy blood flow is essential because blood carries oxygen and glucose, which nerve cells and oligodendrocytes (the cells that make myelin) need to survive. MS stresses and injures brain cells, so the nerves need additional oxygen and glucose to function properly, making blood flow even more critical.
Professor Young’s team aims to understand how a person’s genes affect brain blood vessels. To do this, the researchers will grow two types of blood vessel cells, called pericytes and endothelial cells, from stem cells stored in the MS Stem Biobank. These stem cells come from blood donated by people with and without MS.
By studying these cells, the team will investigate how genetic differences affect blood flow, inflammation and nerve cell survival. Their goal is to identify new drug targets that could protect nerve cells, support brain repair and slow MS progression.
“We expect to identify druggable targets on blood vessels that can be modified to improve brain blood flow regulation for people with MS,” Professor Young said.
“We predict that even after MS develops, targeting and improving blood vessel health could be critical for supporting brain repair and preventing nerve cell death.”
In 2025, more than 37,700 Australians are living with MS, a 77 per cent increase since 2010. The total economic burden of the disease reached $3b in 2024.
As the number of Australians living with MS continues to rise, accelerating research across the full spectrum of the disease is more important than ever.