SPARC and myeloid sarcoma: Extending beyond the vasculature to glial cells in close proximity, another study demonstrated that up-regulation of SPARC secreted by IFN-γ-treated astrocytes induced apoptosis of myelin-specific autoreactive CD4+ T cells that otherwise mediate the pathogenesis of EAE and MS, suggesting a role for SPARC in protecting the CNS against autoimmune-mediated damage during the course of neuroinflammation (Hara et al.).