Samira Ghorbani

Samira Ghorbani

Title/Position
Assistant Professor
Department of Biology

Research Interests: CNS inflammation, Multiple Sclerosis,  Immune-Mediated Tissue Regeneration

Link to Publications: Samira Ghorbani

Research in our lab focuses on overcoming inhibitors in multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions to enhance repair and neuroprotection. MS is a condition in which the body's immune system mistakenly attacks the protective covering of nerves, known as myelin, in the brain and spinal cord. However, the body has a natural repair process called remyelination, which rebuilds the myelin and restores physical function. This process is vital for protecting nerve fibers from further damage. How to improve remyelination during multiple sclerosis is an active area of research with important health implications, particularly in the context of aging. The extracellular matrix molecules deposited into lesions provide both an altered microenvironment that inhibits remyelination, and a fuel that exacerbates inflammatory responses within lesions.  Our lab aims to advance our knowledge about intricate relationship between the extracellular matrix, immune and glial cell of the central nervous system to discover new therapeutic targets to promote remyelination, so slowing progression and neurodegeneration.