Dr Anthony Reder

Dr. Anthony Reder has a 30-year interest in multiple sclerosis.

He has coauthored over 120 papers, plus abstracts and presentations, on multiple sclerosis, and animal models of MS. His primary research interest is in the interaction between the central nervous system (CNS) and the cellular immune system, and in how the brain and immune system are altered by the drugs we use to treat MS. Professor Reder has an active lab studying the mechanism of action of interferon-beta, the most widely-used treatment for MS. They have recently found that there is a defect in the interferon signaling pathway in lymphocytes from progressive forms of MS. This may be why patients with progressive MS do not respond clinically to interferon therapy.

Dr. Reder and other faculty members at the University of Chicago have participated in the development of multiple new treatments for MS. These include the first biological therapy for MS, interferon-beta, plus other drugs including glatiramer (Copaxone), natalizumab (Tysabri), Rituximab, estriol (the pregnancy hormone), and FTY720/fingolimod, plus drugs for pain in MS such as misoprostol. Current clinical trials include evaluation of IFN-b patients 21 years after the original pivotal trial, the effects of statins on IFN efficacy, and promising new drugs.

He has trained a number of excellent MS fellows, funded by the US National MS Society. A prior fellow, Adil Javed, is now on faculty at the U of Chicago. Dr. Javed has just defined a new variant of MS, CNS Sjögren’s disease, which requires different treatments than conventional MS.

Dr. Reder is also kind to puppies.