Investigators in the Center for Neuroimmunology and CNS Therapeutics study the interactions between the immune and the central nervous system in health and disease. Their main research goal is to elucidate the molecular and cellular mechanisms of neuroinflammatory and infectious CNS disorders, and exploit this knowledge for therapeutic purposes.

Toward these goals, the center aims to:

• Catalyze scientific collaborations – organize group meetings and seminars to connect investigators with complementary expertise and common scientific objectives addressing neuroimmune disorders, while training the next generation of translational scientists.
• Enhance extramural funding – provide editorial and grantsmanship assistance and other technical resources that make applications more competitive; advertise proper RFAs for MPI grants and promote interactions among researchers. Organize annual fund raising event in the context of a research day.
• Accelerate path to translation – maintain a database of relevant preclinical models and institutional shared resources, as well as CROs and biopharma experts interested in collaboration with academic investigators. Serve as matchmaker when possible.
• Enhance awareness – host informative, educational events within our local community.

Many debilitating diseases of the brain either have no effective treatments or few treatments that only slow disease progression. These diseases are often accompanied by chronic brain inflammation or immune system dysfunction, which disrupts the normal functions of the brain and can worsen disease progression. Thus, controlling CNS inflammation and reducing neuroimmune dysfunction could provide a therapeutic benefit for a wide range of CNS disorders. Current research continues to shed light on neuroimmune alteration in disease, and new experimental insights into the nature of the neuroimmune system play a crucial role in guiding the production of next-generation therapeutics.

The Center for Neuroimmunology and CNS Therapeutics (CNCT) provides a forum for researchers aiming to understand how interactions between the nervous and immune systems can contribute to both normal homeostasis and CNS disorders. Members of the CNCT are interested in pathologies as diverse as neuroHIV, Alzheimer’s disease, cognitive decline in aging, traumatic brain injury, Parkinson’s disease, neuropathic pain, substance abuse, brain metastasis and more. A main objective of the CNCT is to uncover the molecular and cellular mechanisms specific to each disorder in order to discover novel therapeutic targets. The center also aims to foster collaboration between different institutions to produce a robust and organized research apparatus. This will accelerate the pace of discovery and expand our capacity to understand how neuroimmune factors contribute to a wide range of CNS disorders. Finally, the center aims to enhance awareness of immune dysfunction in CNS disease and inspire investigators to begin new research collaborations that bridge distinct technical and intellectual expertise. Together, these efforts can hasten the development of urgently needed treatments for a variety of CNS pathologies leading to cognitive, motor or sensory deficits.

 
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