Services and laboratories » Center for the study, diagnosis and therapy of Multiple Sclerosis » Research activities

Basic research

• Lymphocyte migration through blood-brain barrier: basic mechanisms mediated by adhesion molecules and effect of treatments (interferon ?, glatiramer acetate, steroids, xaliproden)
• Cytokine and chemokine profile in patients blood and cerebrospinal fluid (before and after therapies)
• Effect of genetic polymorphisms (Apo-E, proinflammatory cytokines, chemokines, adhesion molecules) on multiple sclerosis development
• Immunological effects of autologous stem cells transplantation
• Genetic basis of responses to Glatiramer Acetate therapy
• Multicentric observational study of farmacogenetics and farmacoproteomics of Interferon b 1b (SAPIENCE)
• Biologic tissue bank: CSF, serum, plasma, DNA

Collaborations:

• Dept. of Pathology , University of Verona, Italy (Dr. G. Constantin)
• Fondazione IRCCS S. Lucia, Rome, Italy (Dr. L. Battistini)
• Dept. of Neurology, Wayne State University Detroit, USA (Dr. M. Shy, Prof. R.P. Lisak)
• Dept. of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, USA (Prof. A. Rostami)
• Dept. of Neurology, University ofBergen, Norway (D. C. Vedeler)

Clinical research

• Optimisation of ß-Interferon Ib therapeutic dose (OPTIMS study – coordinator: University of Torino, Prof. L. Durelli)
• Efficacy of Glatiramer Acetate per os
  - Monitoring of autoantibodies and disimmune diseases appearance during ß-Interferon Ia therapy (coordinator: University of Torino, Prof. L. Durelli)
• Efficacy and tollerability of Mitoxantrone therapy in patients who are non-responders to conventional therapies
• Comparative study between ß-Interferon Ib and ß-interferon Ib plus Steroid therapy (coordinator: EBF – European Biomedical Foundation)
• Longitudinal study on cognitive impairment in patients with Multiple Sclerosis
• International Randomized double blind multicentre study about efficacy of Xaliproden (coordinator G. Comi)
• Randomized double blind multicentre study on the relationship between disability evolution and inflammation (cytokine pattern) in secondary progressive Multiple Sclerosis patients treated with ß-Interferon Ib plus Azathioprine or placebo (coordinator: Dott. Montanari – Fidenza).
• Cognitive and affective disturbances in SM patients treated with immunomodulatory therapies (coordinator: IRCCS H.S.R. Milano, Prof. G Comi;)
• Multicentre observational study on cognitive function in relapsing remitting Multiple Sclerosis patient treated with ß-Interferon Ib (coordinator: University of Catania, Prof. Reggio)
• BEST (Beta-Interferon in Early RR-MS Surveillance Trial) observational study