Astrocytes – also commonly called “neuroglia” or glia (Greek for glue), these are star-shaped non-neuronal cells in the brain: functions include the formation of the blood-brain barrier, providing nutrients to the nervous tissue, and playing a role in the repair and scarring process in the brain.

Axons – nerve fibres, projections of nerve cells, conducting electrical impulses away from the neuron’s cell body (soma).

Biomarker – a substance used as an indicator of a biologic state; a biomarker can be any kind of molecule indicating the existence (past or present) of living organisms.

Cytokines – a group of proteins and peptides used in organisms as signalling compounds.

Endogenous – inside of the body.

Exogenous – outside of the body.

Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis (EAE) – animal
model of the human central nervous system (CNS) demyelinating diseases, including MS.

Graft-versus-host disease – a common complication of bone marrow transplantation between genetically nonidentical (allogeneic) individuals. The functional immune cells in the transplanted marrow recognise the recipient as “foreign”, mounting an immunologic attack.

Haematopoiesis – the formation of blood cellular components; haematopoietic stem cells are the point of origin for all of the cellular components of cells.

Histology – anatomical study of the microscopic structure of animal and plant tissues; the microscopic study of tissues.

In vitro – within the glass; in a test tube; or performing an experiment in a controlled environment, outside of a living body.

In vivo – within the living; in a living organism.

Ion channel expression – ion channels are proteins that act as conductors, allowing water-loving ions to cross the oily lipid barrier of cell membranes into the watery cytoplasm of a cell. Once there, the ions enable basic physiological processes such as growth, reproduction and muscle contraction.

Mesenchymal – multipotent stem cells.

Multipotent – the ability of a cell to become several different types of cell; multipotent haematopoietic cells can become any type of cell in the blood system.

Oligodendrocytes – commonly called “neuroglia”, these are non-neuronal cells, whose main function is the myelination of axons in the central nervous system.