Killam Seminar Series: Uncovering Pathogenesis of Multiple Sclerosis Using Applied Epigenomics
Speaker: Maja Jagodic, PhD
Professor in Neuroinflammation, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
Registration: available now on Eventbrite
Livestreaming via Vimeo: Vimeo
Abstract: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a leading cause of progressive disability in young adults. Although the cause remains unknown, vast epidemiological data establish MS as a complex disease influenced by genetic and environmental factors. Epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation, histone posttranslational modifications and non-coding RNAs, orchestrate activity of the genome in response to environmental cues and may provide understanding of molecular mechanisms underpinning disease development and progression. To understand MS pathogenesis, we are measuring DNA methylation patterns and transcription in discrete cell types from unique clinical cohorts in combination with functional studies in experimental models in vitro and in vivo. One of the main challenges with studying diseases such as MS is the limited access to the target tissue - the brain. Recent technical and analytical advances in methods to survey epigenetic modifications genome-wide and from them infer genome activity, opened up possibilities to study brain tissue and mechanisms that underlie neurodegeneration in MS patients.
The Killam Seminar Series at The Neuro
Supported by the generosity of the Killam Trusts, The Neuro’s Killam Seminar series hosts outstanding guest speakers whose research is of interest to the scientific community at The Neuro and McGill University.
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