Dr Jennifer Pocock

Dr Jennifer Pocock works at the IoN’s Department of Neuroinflammation, investigating the role of cells in multiple sclerosis. She describes her research below:

"The objective of the research is to understand how a cell in the brain called a microglial cell can damage another set of cells called oligodendrocytes (cells that sheathe nerves in the brain) in diseases such as multiple sclerosis.’

Oligodendrocytes produce a protective coating around nerve cells, rather like the coating around electrical cables.

In multiple sclerosis, the microglial cells attack the oligodendrocytes. This attack essentially removes the protective coating around nerves which are essential for conducting messages in the brain and also to and from the brain to the rest of the body.

This leads to the death of the nerve cells, and the result in patients is severe impairment of movement, sight, memory, and leads to pain, tremors and spasticity.

Here we aim to determine if this damage to oligodendrocytes by microglia can be reduced by the manipulation of specific proteins, called receptors, present on the microglia."