Neurology

Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute

Multiple Sclerosis/Neuroimmunology

The Multiple Sclerosis/Neuroimmunology section is focused on the diagnosis and treatment of patients who suffer immune-mediated damage to the central nervous system (CNS). While multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common condition managed within the Neuroimmunology section, we have well-established programs in anti-MOG antibody-associated disease (MOGAD), neurosarcoidosis, and transverse myelitis (TM) including acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM), acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), autoimmune encephalitis (AE), neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), optic neuritis.

Clinical 

The MS/Neuroimmunology clinical program was founded in 1994 and has grown to serve over 5,000 patients annually. We support clinical efforts at UT Southwestern, Parkland Hospital, Children's Health and the VA North Texas Health System. Our Multiple Sclerosis Center, Transverse Myelitis program and Neuromyelitis Optica program have been nationally recognized as comprehensive care centers by national advocacy organizations. The Dallas VA MS clinic is a regional Multiple Sclerosis Center of Excellence (MSCoE).

Research 

The MS/Neuroimmunology section is involved in basic science, translational and clinical research efforts. We have received funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Defense (DOD), Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Siegel Rare Neuroimmune Association, and Guthy-Jackson Charitable Foundation for neuromylitis optica (NMO), among others.

Our faculty has been published in high-impact channels such as Annals of Neurology, Brain, JAMA Neurology, The Lancet, The New England Journal of Medicine, Neurology, Nature Communications, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 

The program has participated in dozens of clinical trials and is routinely involved in Phase 1, 2 and 3 trials.

Research Overview Videos

Education 

Since its inception, the MS/Neuroimmunology section has been committed to educational endeavors. To this end, we have hosted medical students, residents, fellows and visiting providers, and created and executed curriculum for improving knowledge of medical providers and scientists. 

Conditions Treated

The MS/Neuroimmunology section is committed to providing comprehensive, compassionate, efficient, high-quality care to all our patients and their families. We are commonly consulted on cases seeking an accurate diagnosis, and the most common conditions we treat include:

  • Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis (ADEM)
  • Acute Flaccid Myelitis
  • Anti-MOG Antibody Associated Disease
  • Autoimmune Encephalitis
  • Multiple Sclerosis
  • Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder (NMOSD)
  • Neurosarcoidosis
  • Optic Neuritis
  • Transverse Myelitis

Primary Services

The MS/Neuroimmunology section offers a variety of diagnostic and therapeutic services, including advanced MRI, optical coherence tomography, pupillometry, neuropsychology assessments, gait assessments, bloodwork, lumbar punctures (“spinal taps”), and neurological exams.

Collaborative Services

We collaborate with Neurosurgery to perform brain biopsies when indicated; we manage oral, injectable and infusible medications, and acutely work with Aphersis teams to offer both inpatient and outpatient plasma exchange. In collaboration with Urology and Physiatry, we offer bladder management services and rehabilitation programs.

Social Services

Additionally, integrated into the MS/Neuroimmunology section is a counseling service that offers therapy, support and guidance to patients and families.

Specialty Programs

Section Head 

Providers 

Research Labs

Greenberg Lab

The Greenberg lab is focused on acquiring specimens from research participants to use in biomarker discovery and validation. For each of the conditions we treat in clinic, we lack blood based diagnostics, prognostics, markers of disease activity and/or markers of response to therapy. These are critical unmet needs within neuroimmunology. The careful collection, processing and storage of samples from our patients allows for researchers to explore the biology of patients suffering from conditions instead of relying on artificial animal models. Through this work we have identified novel genetic, cellular and protein based markers that correlate with various diseases. We work collaboratively with researchers at UT Southwestern and throughout the world, sharing specimens and data in an effort to advance our understanding of these various conditions. 

Monson Lab

Nancy Monson, Ph.D. is an internationally recognized B-cell biologist and immunologist who has made major contributions to our understanding of multiple sclerosis. Her work has focused on advanced techniques to interrogate B-cell genetics and determine which cell populations are clinically relevant to multiple sclerosis. Dr. Monson has worked to understand the adaptive immune response in a variety of conditions including transverse myelitis, autoimmune encephalitis, neuromyelitis optica, and Alzheimer's disease. 

Stuve Lab

Dr. Stuve’s research laboratory studies the differential molecular requirements for bone-marrow-derived leukocytes to cross the blood-brain barrier or other biological barriers that provide immune privilege for the central nervous system (CNS). He is also exploring molecular and cellular differences between bone-marrow-derived myeloid cells subsets and CNS-intrinsic microglia, and the potential pathogenic role of innate immune cells in early and late MS. Furthermore, Dr. Stuve's research interests include molecular and cellular markers of autoimmunity, and experimental therapies for autoimmune disorders, and he has numerous ongoing collaborations with national and international investigators.

Vernino Lab

Steven Vernino, M.D., Ph.D.  has a long interest in autoimmune neurological disorders, especially those associated with antibodies against cell membrane ion channels and receptors.  His laboratory works on evaluating the role of novel autoantibodies specifically in disorders of the autonomic nervous system.  Dr. Vernino is also involved in a number of clinical trials evaluating immune therapies for autonomic disorders and autoimmune encephalitis. 

Sguigna Lab

Peter Sguigna, M.D. lab's research interests and activities include advanced diagnostic imaging of neuro-ophthalmological disorders, as well as unraveling the neuro-retinal circuitry in neuroimmunological diseases. Dr. Sguigna actively works on better ways to distinguish these disorders using non-invasive technology. He uses specialized testing to gain insight into some of the most disabling symptoms for patients with multiple sclerosis. Lastly, he coordinates for clinical trials for better treatment of patients with multiple sclerosis.

Okuda Lab

The Okuda Neuroinnovation lab is involved in the advancement of improvised solutions and emerging innovations that improve the delivery of medical care provided to patients. Our mission is to design and develop innovative devices, software solutions, and combined unique methodologies that translate into discoveries for next generation care.

Salinas Lab

The fundamental goal of the Salinas lab is to disentangle the complexity of molecular and cellular interactions that drive an immune response and how these contribute to autoimmunity of the central nervous system in diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS). We apply methods from synthetic biology, high-throughput single-cell nucleic acid profiling, and massively parallel genetic engineering using pre-clinical animal models and patient-derived samples. These efforts are intricately motivated by their translational potential toward the treatment of patients with MS and other neuroimmunological disorders.

Clinical Trials

MS/Neuroimmunology Fellowships