Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain
the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in
Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles
and JavaScript.
In an embarrassing and controversial decision, the UK Medical Research Council (MRC) last week agreed to “run down” its Demyelinating Diseases Unit in Newcastle. Chris Sherwell reports