Research Field Genetics

A Genetic Basis for MS

Canada has the world’s highest rate of multiple sclerosis (MS) and over the past few decades, the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver has amassed a great deal of clinical information and biological samples (thanks to the MS Society of Canada and the Canadian Collaborative Project on Genetic Susceptibility to MS). The resources represented an excellent research opportunity that Carles Vilariño-Güell, Assistant Professor in the Department of Medical Genetics at UBC, could not ignore.

“Our study clearly showed that in some families with many individuals diagnosed with MS, there is a strong genetic component likely responsible for the onset of the disease. To try to identify the cause of the disease we sequenced the entire coding DNA in several of those families,” says Vilariño-Güell.

The sequencing analysis showed that a mutation on the NR1H3 gene was the common familial link, and further investigation suggested that pathogenic mutations in NR1H3 cause primary progressive MS (1). Moreover, the researchers believe that common variants in the same gene may lead to an increased susceptibility to the disease.

Now, the UBC team hopes to use the findings to develop more efficient therapies for MS, and preliminary work is already underway. “We can now create mouse models that are more likely to represent the processes that are disrupted in patients, which will be extremely useful in studying the biological problems caused by these mutations, as well as the development of new treatments,” says Vilariño-Güell.

The researchers are also using the clinical resources to gain more insight into the disease’s mechanisms. “We believe NR1H3 is just one of many genes to be discovered in MS families, thus we’re studying additional MS families to identify others, which will provide more pieces of the puzzle to better understand MS,” concludes Vilariño-Güell.

Receive content, products, events as well as relevant industry updates from The Translational Scientist and its sponsors.

When you click “Subscribe” we will email you a link, which you must click to verify the email address above and activate your subscription. If you do not receive this email, please contact us at [email protected].
If you wish to unsubscribe, you can update your preferences at any point.

  1. Z Wang et al., “Nuclear receptor NR1H3 in familial multiple sclerosis”, Neuron, 90, 948-954 (2016). PMID: 27253448.
About the Author
William Aryitey

My fascination with science, gaming, and writing led to my studying biology at university, while simultaneously working as an online games journalist. After university, I travelled across Europe, working on a novel and developing a game, before finding my way to Texere. As Associate Editor, I’m evolving my loves of science and writing, while continuing to pursue my passion for gaming and creative writing in a personal capacity.

Related Solutions
Powering Proteomics: E-book

| Contributed by SomaLogic

Research Field Genetics
Measuring DNA Absorbance with the STS-UV

| Contributed by Ocean Optics

Register to The Translational Scientist

Register to access our FREE online portfolio, request the magazine in print and manage your preferences.

You will benefit from:

  • Unlimited access to ALL articles
  • News, interviews & opinions from leading industry experts

Register