Approved Research

Analysis of the impact of innate immune system genetics on neurodegenerative disease and cancer.

Lay summary

Aims:

We aim to assess the impact of genetic variants that control microglia function on brain health, thus identifying targets that may lead to therapies for neurodegenerative brain diseases.

Scientific rationale:

A growing body of human genetics research is revealing that many of the risk genes associated with neurodegenerative conditions are expressed in microglia, the immune cells of the brain. Microglia are critical for maintaining a healthy brain and for counteracting brain diseases. When microglia become dysfunctional due to normal aging or genetic factors, neurodegenerative diseases develop.

Expected duration:

The project is expected to take three years.

Public health impact:

We aim to identify/prioritize targets for new drug development, more accurately classify patients by combinations of genotype/phenotype for clinical trials, and develop readouts that we can use to assess how well our drugs may be restoring brain health.