MEDICINE&SCIENCE
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Multiple Sclerosis Society in Waltham, Mass. “By selectively targeting the T-cells, you might be able to stop MS in its tracks.”
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society has spent nearly $650,000 to fund Tostanoski’s work at the Jewell Research Lab in College Park. Elsewhere, researchers are trying to develop similar pinpoint treatments that leave immune systems unscathed. The society has committed $80 million over the next four years to fund more than 300 research projects.
Rather than suppressing the bad T-cells, Tostanoski’s method aims to change the cells from foe to friend within the lymph nodes. These glands swell to produce defense cells when a person becomes sick.
“Think of the lymph nodes like a classroom,” she said. “Cells that recognize myelin learn to mature and become inflammatory, then travel out of the lymph node to the brain, where they attack.”
She injected tiny fragments of myelin into this lymph node classroom. Her breakthrough came when she encapsulated the fragments with a coating that gradually wears down to prolong the release of myelin.
“You’re basically keeping the stuff around longer,” said Christopher Jewell, an associate professor of bioengineering who runs the College Park lab. “If you just inject something in there, it could flow out and be gone.”
T-cells that develop in the presence of myelin don’t attack it, though researchers don’t know why. These cells will leave the lymph nodes and actually defend myelin. They also will calm the attacking cells.
The concept was born from theories that injections with low doses of bee pollen will diminish someone’s allergies. In two weeks of myelin treatments, the lab mice gradually recovered.
“What’s really unique about what Lisa’s working on is depositing in the lymph node and controlling the release,” said Jewell, her academic adviser.
By focusing on multiple sclerosis, Tostanoski took on a large and vexing medical riddle, which attracted the Lemelson prize judges. Among the recent winners were students who developed a folding drone, an advanced prosthetic foot, a protein to fight superbug bacteria, and a portable device to convert text to Braille.
Multiple sclerosis is two to three times more common in women than men, according to the society. Most people are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50. The average American has about a one in 750 chance of contracting multiple sclerosis, according to the MS society.
Further research remains before Tostanoski’s treatment is tested on people with MS. Researchers in the College Park lab plan to next test her methods on human lymph nodes removed during biopsies.
Tostanoski expects to receive her Ph.D. in bioengineering in the coming months, and she intends to find a research job with a university and one day become a professor. Researchers at the University of Maryland will carry on her work.
For now, she’s relishing her award from the Lemelson judges. She learned of their decision by voice mail.
She was busy in the lab when they called.