Our Very Own Pathologist Professor Amor (DoctorLove) and a bit of a good knitter, came up with the Idea of the “Charcot Tapestry”. This will have panels that document how MS develops using many of the knitting patterns developed for the “Big Knit”
You should all have heard about the Bayeux Tapestry that depicts the story of the Norman Conquest of Britain around 1066. The french Neurologist Jean Martin Charcot who wrote one of the first descriptions of MS in 1868 (I am sure he’ll be part of the History of MS series by Prof G).
Professor Amor with a “Stressed Oligodendrocyte”. The oligodendrocyte(round bit) makes myelin (blue square) that wraps around nerves to help them transmit information quicker. See how, in MS the Disease. When MS starts, they express a marker (Pink bits) that is recognised by the immune system that triggers attack the oligodendrocyte.
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“We are still knitting MS. We are making a series of tapestries showing what MS looks like under the microscope. We plan to use it for educational purposes such as the Meet the Scientist event at MS life next April. The British Society of Immunology will collect the knitted cells. Knitters… if you want to know more let me know”.
We’ll keep you posted as the Charcot Tapestry becomes a reality.
I think this is a good idea as so much about MS is negative – on the contrary this aspect is rather positive, fun and creative. And it keeps those knitters busy 🙂