Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is the most common inflammatory demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) in young adults with a high risk of future disability. Although the search for antibodies in MS has led to controversial results, most recent data suggest that CNS-reactive B cells are present in patients with MS or related diseases.

Therefore, the young scientist Dr. Simone Mader from the Institute for Clinical Neuroimmunology at LMU in Munich wants to detect brain-reactive B cells in patients with MS and related diseases through usage of novel methodological approaches. This will allow her to identify autoantibodies and their target antigens. The project has immense importance for the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of patients with MS and related disorders.

The project of Simone Mader is supported from 2019 to 2020 by the “Young Investigator Fund for Innovative Research Ideas” of the Schering Stiftung and the Fritz Thyssen Foundation.