Characterizing Adaptive Immune Mechanism in Alzheimer: A Key to Therapy
Principal Investigator
Alireza Faridar, MD
The Methodist Hospital Research Institute
Houston, TX, USA
About the Research Project
Program
Award Type
Postdoctoral Fellowship
Award Amount
$184,377
Active Dates
July 01, 2019 - August 31, 2021
Grant ID
A2019083F
Mentor(s)
Stanley Appel, M.D., The Methodist Hospital Research Institute
Goals
Systemic inflammation might play a critical role in the onset and progression of Alzheimer disease. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are the major immunomodulatory cell in the blood that might lose their function in AD. For the first time in AD, dysfunctional Tregs will be expanded in culture dish to restore their suppressive function and the impact of these expanded/normalized Tregs will be evaluated on AD pathology. This project could form the rational to apply regulatory T cell expansion as a novel therapeutic approach in dementia patients.
Summary
Systemic inflammation might play a critical role in the onset and progression of AD. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are the major immunomodulatory cell type in the blood. These cells might lose their function in AD, shifting the immune system response towards a pro-inflammatory state. Accumulating preclinical and clinical evidence suggests Tregs as a modifiable therapeutic target. For the first time in AD, dysfunctional Alzheimer’s Tregs will be expanded in culture dish to restore their immunomodulatory function. The impact of Tregs expansion/normalization will be evaluated for pathology in an AD mouse model. This project could form the rational to apply regulatory T cell expansion as a novel therapeutic approach in
Alzheimer’s patients.
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