Washington University in St. Louis (WU)
Dr. Cross’ main interest involves lymphocyte migration to the central nervous system (CNS) and cell-mediated factors underlying demyelination and axon injury, including cytokines, chemokines and free radicals. Dr. Cross employs a mouse model of relapsing/remitting inflammatory CNS demyelination (experimental allergic encephalomyelitis) in these studies. Using information gained through all of these studies, our goal is to modulate the pathogenic lymphocytes in the mouse model, and eventually in humans with MS, to prevent CNS injury. The Cross laboratory is also interested in the role of B lymphocytes in MS, and is near completion of a clinical trial using B cell depletion in MS patients who have not responded optimally to standard therapies alone.