University of California

Stephen L Hauser

Claude P Genain

Ilse Bartke

Jurgen Unger

Esha Datta

Roland Henry

Alyssa Zhu

Hans-Christian Von B&uuml;dingen

Methods and systems are provided for the automated detection and analysis of structural tissue alterations related to myelin and axons/neurons in one or more biological structures of a patient's nervous system obtained from data from a medical imaging system, or the initial sensing or data collection processes such as, those that could be used to generate an image. In some embodiments, the method comprises, at a system having a memory and one or more processor for processing and displaying images of the biological structure, computationally processing at least a T1 weighted magnetic resonance image of the structure and a T2 weighted magnetic resonance image of the structure in order to analyze at least a portion of the structure of the nervous system using a plurality of stored tissue classifier elements to determine if the portion of the structure correlates with the presence of myelin. Such methods are useful for the detection of diseases associated with demyelination.

Quantitating disease progression from the MRI images of multiple sclerosis patients

This invention pertains to the discovery that nerve growth factor (NGF) is capable of preventing further demyelination of nervous tissue in pathologies characterized by the demyelination of nervous tissue (e.g. multiple sclerosis). In one embodiment, this invention provides a method for inhibiting demyelination in a subject having an inflammatory disease of a nervous tissue. The method involves administering an effective amount of NGF, an NGF analogue, or an active fragment of NGF where the effective amount is sufficient to downregulate the production of interferon &#x3bb; by T cells infiltrating the central nervous system and/or to upregulate IL-10 production by glial cells.

NGF for the prevention of demyelination in the nervous system

The invention provides methods and compositions for inhibiting pathogenic binding of an pathogenic autoantibody to a myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) autoantigen and screening for inhibitors of pathogenic binding of an autoantibody to a MOG autoantigen.

Inhibiting MOG-antibody binding

The invention provides methods and compositions for inhibiting autoantibody binding in demyelinating disease such as multiple sclerosis. The compositions comprise immunoglobulin CDR3 sequences derived from combinatorial phage display libraries selected for high-affinity binding to myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein.

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Ross, CA, United States of America

Stephen L Hauser