Interview with Dr Kaylene Young - Myelin repair and regeneration bringing hope for a cure for MS

Dr Kaylene Young from the Menzies Institute for Medical Research talks about Myelin repair and regeneration and the hope it brings in finding a cure for MS.

MS Research Australia is the largest national organisation dedicated to funding and coordinating multiple sclerosis research in Australia, as part of the worldwide effort to solve MS. Its goal is to accelerate research: into the cause, better treatments and prevention, with the aim of ultimately finding a cure for MS.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is the most common neurological disease affecting young adults, often diagnosed between the ages of 20 to 40 and affects three times more women than men. As yet, there is no cure. MS is the result of damage to myelin -- a protective sheath surrounding nerve fibres of the central nervous system. When myelin is damaged, this interferes with messages between the brain and other parts of the body. The symptoms of MS are different for each person; sometimes they even vary within the same person. For some, MS is characterised by periods of relapse and remission, while for others it has a progressive pattern. For everyone, it makes life unpredictable.