Overview
A growing body of evidence notes that central nervous system immune changes superimposed on ongoing chronic neurodegeneration may have a major impact on disease progression in Alzheimers disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative conditions. The role of the peripheral immune system in AD, including cellular elements of both the innate and adaptive immunity are still enigmatic. In the Barrier-AD study, we investigate immune cell identity and abundance in the periphery and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) at single cell resolution among preclinical-AD, MCI-AD, and AD-Dementia stages and among normal aging controls. The Barrier-AD study investigates immune cell phenotypes in the CSF and peripheral blood by a powerful single-cell proteomic analysis technique, mass cytometry, and blood brain barrier (BBB) changes delineated by dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI techniques. Results from the study will help future therapeutic targeting of specific immune and BBB changes at the most effective clinical stage of disease. These results will also enable the identification of novel mechanisms that regulate immune cell homeostasis in the periphery and the CNS, and the state of BBB, providing potential means to manipulate these immune cells for therapeutic purposes in the future.
Contact Information:
Jagan A Pillai MD PhD
pillaij@ccf.org
Funding Sources:
NIH R01AG078763 Immune cell activation and associated blood brain barrier changes across different stages of Alzheimer's disease
Members and Collaborations
Cleveland Clinic
- Lynn Bekris, PhD
- James Leverenz, MD
- Mark Lowe, PhD
- Stephen Rao PhD
- Wanyong Shin PhD
External Relationships and Collaborations
- Penelope Bencheck, PhD, Case Western Reserve University
- Aaron Burberry, PhD, Case Western Reserve University
- Will Bush PhD, Case Western Reserve University
- Holden Terry Maecker, PhD, Stanford University
- Tyson Holmes, PhD, Stanford University
