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What is MOG Antibody Disease?

Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein Antibody Disease (MOG Antibody Disease or MOGAD) is a neuroimmune disorder that causes inflammation primarily in the optic nerve but can also affect the spinal cord and brain. MOG is a protein located on the surface of myelin sheaths in the central nervous system. MOGAD is diagnosed through a test that looks for the level of MOG antibodies in the blood. The test should be given to any patient who has an inflammatory attack of the central nervous system. Because of the rare nature of the disorder, it is often misdiagnosed or not diagnosed at all.

Who we are

We are a 501(c)3 non-profit organization devoted to advocating for those all over the world who are diagnosed with
MOG Antibody Disease (MOGAD).

Our Mission

The MOG Project is devoted to raising awareness, educating doctors, patients and caregivers, advancing research through expert collaboration and fundraising, and providing support and advocacy for our community in hopes of finding a cure.

Strength ♦ Resilience ♦ Courage ♦ Hope

Support our Fight against MOGAD

Determination ♦ Flexibility ♦ Adaptability

Our sponsors and partners share our mission, finding power in numbers to create a larger voice of shared experience so that we all can achieve better care for MOGAD and all other rare neuroimmune conditions.

Sponsor or partner with us and let’s work toward a cure for MOGAD together

Our Corporate Sponsors

QuestionPro’s survey software plays a major role in helping us keep in touch with our MOGAD Community, volunteers, donors and other affiliates. Surveying them has helped strengthen our relationship.

Our Collaborative Partners

Partners for Patient Education

Massachusetts General Hospital
Harvard University

Michael Levy, MD, PhD

Dr. Levy is an Associate Professor in Neurology who was recently recruited to lead the new Neuroimmunology Division at the Massachusetts General Hospital. His mission is to build a combined clinical and research neuroimmunology program to develop therapies for patients with autoimmune diseases of the central nervous system. Dr. Levy moved from Baltimore, MD, where he was one of the faculty at Johns Hopkins University since 2009 and Director of the Neuromyelitis Optica Clinic.

Clinically, Dr. Levy specializes in taking care of children and adults with rare neuroimmunological diseases including neuromyelitis optica, transverse myelitis, MOG antibody disease and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis. In addition to four monthly clinics, Dr. Levy is the principal investigator on several clinical studies and drug trials for these conditions.

In the laboratory, Dr. Levy’s research focuses on four main areas:
1. Development of animal models of neuromyelitis optica (NMO) with the goal of tolerization as a sustainable long term treatment: His team generated a mouse model of NMO based on pathogenic T cells reactive against the aquaporin-4 water channel. Now, they are using this mouse model to create a tolerization therapy to desensitize the immune response to aquaporin-4.
2. Genetic basis of transverse myelitis: His team discovered a genetic mutation in VPS37a found in a group of patients with a familial form of transverse myelitis (TM). To understand how this gene is involved in this immune process, they generated a mouse model with this mutation.
3. The immunopathogenesis of MOG antibody disease: This may depend on a subset of T cells called gamma/delta T cells. These specialize T cells react to MOG in mouse models and attack the central nervous system. In addition to understanding why and how these T cells are involved in MOG antibody disease, they are developing a treatment to target these cells.
4. Biomarker assays for other autoimmune diseases of the central nervous system: They are developing assays that detect autoreactive T cells in NMO and MOG antibody disease. In parallel, they are screening for novel antibodies to glial cells in related disorders such as encephalitis and optic neuritis.