Funding for Portsmouth scientist, researching multiple sclerosis

A University of Portsmouth scientist has won almost £180,000 to fund research that could help develop treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.

Dr Sassan Hafizi, a senior lecturer in the School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, has been awarded £177,930 by the MS Society to investigate the potentially beneficial role of a molecule found in the nervous system.

The immune system attacks myelin, a fatty substance that surrounds nerves and protects them from damage.

In the initial stages of MS the body is capable of replacing myelin, which is produced by special cells called oligodendrocytes. But as the condition progresses myelin repair becomes less efficient.