Brain inflammation

Inflammation is generally a protective process in response to an infection or an injury. However, if there is disease in the brain, inflammation can often make the disease worse.

For this reason, we need to understand the mechanisms of inflammation occurring in a diseased brain. When we understand these mechanisms, we will then work to find a way to block and prevent inflammatory damage.

Our research

The aim of our research is to understand fundamental mechanisms of inflammation and how they contribute to brain disease. We can then aim to identify new ways to treat brain disease.

To address and understand inflammation, we have a number of ongoing projects in this area.

• Dissecting the immunological landscape of brain tumours, using the Hyperion imaging system to survey a high number of protein markers in a single scan.
• Targeting the immune pathway for the production of IL-1, a potent inflammatory cytokine, using new and existing anti-inflammatory drugs in preclinical models and clinical disease.

Understanding the gut-brain axis and how it influences brain inflammation and injury after stroke.

Investigators