Cross Lab
Anne Cross, MD

The goal of the Cross lab’s research is to understand the mechanisms involved in pathogenesis of inflammation and demyelination in the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). Our research is primarily focused on the human disease multiple sclerosis (MS), which is very common (1/1000 in the U.S. population). We study human tissues (blood, DNA, RNA, spinal fluid) and perform cutting-edge imaging of the human nervous system. We sometimes employ an animal model for MS known as experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). We are currently performing longitudinal imaging studies to help devise methods to differentiate the various types of pathologies in the human disease, such as demyelination, inflammation with cells and or edema due to blood-brain barrier breakdown and axon damage and loss. We are funded to devise better methods to measure progression of MS over time, which might be used in clinical trials. We also study the effects of diet and calorie restriction upon neuro-inflammation, having shown previously that calorie restriction ameliorates EAE, the prime animal model for MS, at least partly through the upregulation of adiponectin and downregulation of leptin.
Principal investigator

Anne Cross, MD
Manny and Rosalyn Rosenthal – Dr. John Trotter MS Center Chair in Neuroimmunology
Professor, Neurology Division of Adult Neurology
Section Head, Neuroimmunology
- Phone: 314-362-3293
Recent publications
- Confirming a Historical Diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis: Challenges and RecommendationsSolomon, A. J., Arrambide, G., Brownlee, W., Cross, A. H., Gaitan, M. I., Lublin, F. D., Makhani, N., Mowry, E. M., Reich, D. S., Rovira, À., Weinshenker, B. G. & Cohen, J. A., Jun 1 2022, In: Neurology: Clinical Practice. 12, 3, p. 263-269 7 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
- Correction to: COVID-19 Outcomes and Vaccination in People with Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis Treated with Ofatumumab (Neurology and Therapy, (2022), 11, 2, (741-758), 10.1007/s40120-022-00341-z)Cross, A. H., Delgado, S., Habek, M., Davydovskaya, M., Ward, B. J., Cree, B. A. C., Totolyan, N., Pingili, R., Mancione, L., Hu, X., Sullivan, R., Su, W., Zielman, R., Gupta, A. D., Montalban, X. & Winthrop, K., Jun 2022, In: Neurology and Therapy. 11, 2, p. 759-762 4 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment/debate
- COVID-19 Outcomes and Vaccination in People with Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis Treated with OfatumumabCross, A. H., Delgado, S., Habek, M., Davydovskaya, M., Ward, B. J., Cree, B. A. C., Totolyan, N., Pingili, R., Mancione, L., Hu, X., Sullivan, R., Su, W., Zielman, R., Gupta, A. D., Montalban, X. & Winthrop, K., Jun 2022, In: Neurology and Therapy. 11, 2, p. 741-758 18 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Prognostic Value of Serum Neurofilament Light Chain for Disease Activity and Worsening in Patients With Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis: Results From the Phase 3 ASCLEPIOS I and II TrialsZiemssen, T., Arnold, D. L., Alvarez, E., Cross, A. H., Willi, R., Li, B., Kukkaro, P., Kropshofer, H., Ramanathan, K., Merschhemke, M., Kieseier, B., Su, W., Häring, D. A., Hauser, S. L., Kappos, L. & Kuhle, J., Mar 31 2022, In: Frontiers in immunology. 13, 852563.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Alterations of host-gut microbiome interactions in multiple sclerosisCantoni, C., Lin, Q., Dorsett, Y., Ghezzi, L., Liu, Z., Pan, Y., Chen, K., Han, Y., Li, Z., Xiao, H., Gormley, M., Liu, Y., Bokoliya, S., Panier, H., Suther, C., Evans, E., Deng, L., Locca, A., Mikesell, R., Obert, K., & 8 othersNewland, P., Wu, Y., Salter, A., Cross, A. H., Tarr, P. I., Lovett-Racke, A., Piccio, L. & Zhou, Y., Feb 2022, In: EBioMedicine. 76, 103798.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review