1. Multiple Sclerosis is a neurological, immune-mediated disorder
Multiple Sclerosis is a neurological, immune-mediated disorder. What causes it?
Environmental Factors
Genetics
Viruses
Immunologic Factors

2. The Role of Cytokines in the Progression of Multiple Sclerosis, and Therapeutic Applications
    Sanketh Andhavarapu
G/T Independent Research
Mount Hebron High School
Dr. Kiehl, Advisor   

3. Overview: Background Research Question and Hypothesis
My Research- Synthesis Paper
Data Collection
Final Product
Overview:

4. What is Multiple Sclerosis?
Neuro-inflammatory disease
2.5 million cases worldwide
Causes are unknown
Progression is unpredictable
Affects women twice as much than men
Typically affects ages 20-40

5. What are Cytokines? Small Secreted Proteins that aid in:
Immune responses
Cell Signaling

6. Cytokines in Neuroinflammatory Diseases
Pro-inflammatory cytokines
Involved in the upregulation of inflammatory actions
Anti-inflammatory cytokines
Regulate the proinflammatory cytokine response

7. How are proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines involved in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis, and how can this relationship be used in treatments to ameliorate the symptoms?
My Research Question

8. Cytokines play an immense role in multiple sclerosis; suppressing proinflammatory cytokines and inducing anti-inflammatory cytokines will potentially slow down the progression of the disease and ameliorate inflammation, relapse rate, and exacerbations.
Hypothesis

9. The Innate and Adaptive Response
Innate Response
The immediate and initial immune response
Leads to the adaptive response
Adaptive Response
Initiated by the presentation of a specific
antigen to T lymphocytes by antigen presenting
cells
Activates several types of T-cells

10. T-cells Cytotoxic T cells Regulatory T cells Helper T cells
Destroy virus infected cells
Regulatory T cells
Dampen the immune response
Helper T cells
Recognizes foreign substances
Activates other T cells
Th1, Th2, Th17 subtypes are proliferated in Multiple Sclerosis

11. How are T-cells related to cytokines?

12. Cytokine Levels in Multiple Sclerosis
The balance between proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines is lost in different stages of MS
Proinflammatory cytokines are upregulated
Anti-inflammatory cytokines are also upregulated
Increased proinflammatory cytokine levels are a result of the activated T cells
Anti-inflammatory cytokine level increases in an attempt to control the proinflammatory response

13. https://academic. oup. com/ajcp/article-lookup/doi/10

14. Examples of Cytokines Proinflammatory: Anti-inflammatory:
Interferon-gamma
Tumor Necrosis Factor- alpha
Interleukin- 1 beta
Interleukin- 12
Interleukin- 17
Anti-inflammatory:
Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist
Interleukin-4
Interleukin-6
Interleukin-10
Interleukin-11
Interleukin-13

15. Current Work- Data Collection
Meta- Analysis
4 scholarly articles
Focusing on how effective treatments target cytokines
Similarities in mechanisms of action
Glatiramer Acetate (Copaxone)
Interferon-beta (Betaseron)

16. The Articles I Chose
Randomized Study Combining Interferon & Glatiramer Acetate in Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is associated with an imbalance between tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFa)- and IL-10-secreting blood cells that is corrected by interferon-beta (IFNb) treatment
Regulatory effects of IFN-b on production of osteopontin and IL-17 by CD4+ T Cells in MS
Mechanism of action of glatiramer acetate in multiple sclerosis and its potential for the development of new applications

17. My Findings
Both GA and IFN-b upregulated anti-inflammatory cytokine populations and downregulated proinflammatory cytokine populations during relapse.
Balance between cytokines was restored after treatment.

18. Final Product Journal Article
Submitting to National High School Journal of Science
Present to researchers and interns studying multiple sclerosis in a research laboratory.
Present to interested High School students

19. QUESTIONS?