 In a platform session related to nervous system repair, Dr. L. Lau of Hotchkiss Brain Institute in Calgary described a series of studies, supported by the MS Society of Canada, that uncovered a group of molecules that reside in structural tissues (extracellular matrix) that may be among several that block the ability of the myelin-making oligodendrocytes to repair damage caused by MS. The molecules, CSPGs (chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans) contribute to scarring, and in lab dishes they reduced the number of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells that matured into myelinating cells. By selectively turning off CSPGs in lab mice with myelin damage, they were able to increase myelin repair. More research should determine whether this approach could be useful for encouraging myelin repair in people with MS. (Abstract 000) 