Multiple sclerosis (MS) progression involves major changes in both astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. In this project, we aim to investigate whether astrocytic AQP4 expression changes between relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) and secondary progressive MS (SPMS) and whether these changes are associated with transcriptional programs related to oligodendrocyte function and myelin. The project will use a publicly available human single-nucleus RNA-sequencing dataset from postmortem prefrontal cortex of RRMS and SPMS patients. Astrocytes and oligodendrocytes will be analyzed separately to characterize AQP4-associated astrocyte states and myelin-related gene expression. The project will involve analysis of snRNA-seq data using R/Seurat, including cell-type identification, differential gene expression, gene-set scoring and data visualization. The project can be adapted according to the student’s interests and provides an opportunity to explore cell-specific transcriptional changes associated with MS progression.
Contact: ana_isabel.alvarez_lopez@med.lu.se