characterization of APC populations in the CNS during acute TMEV infection and possible consequences on demeyelinating disease

because i have lab meeting this wednesday, i have decided that these first few days of the week i’m making all home interior posts (and browsing the web for related goods) off limits!  i need to focus focus focus.  so perhaps, i thought instead i might blog a bit about the research i do.  i really never talk about what i do during the day except to blake (and of course the good people i work with).  because it is such a huge portion of my life, and few really know what i do, i’ll do my best to enlighten you.

i work in a lab (yes, i wear a white lab coat) at Northwestern.  the lab i work for does research on two mouse models of multiple sclerosis.  the model that i work on particularly is a virally induced demyelinating disease model known as TMEV (Theiller’s Murine Encephalitic Virus).  we infect a strain of mouse known as SJL mice with the virus, and about 60 days later they develop a waddle in the their gate and eventually will lose the ability to use their hind limbs (day 100+).  A second strain of mouse (strain, think breed of dog) known as C57Bl/6 (B6) when infected with the virus will clear the virus completely and never develop demyelinating disease.  our lab has spent many years trying to determine why one strain of mouse is susceptible to disease, while a secondary strain is resistant.  this mechanism of susceptibility vs. resistance is what my research is focused on.  particularly, i study antigen presenting cells (APC) in the central nervous system (CNS).  tomorrow’s lesson.

too boring?