Grant: Project Grant

Immune cells are important for staying healthy, as they patrol our body to find and destroy microbes. However, these immune cells can malfunction and cause more harm than good. Normally, the blood-brain barrier (BBB) protects the brain from such infiltration by controlling the passage of immune cells. In inflammatory diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS), aggressive immune cells from the blood travel to the brain where they cause tissue damage. These include immune cells such as lymphocytes, monocytes and dendritic cells. The movement of such aggressive immune cells from the blood to the brain is orchestrated by many factors, including cell adhesion molecules (CAMs). Blocking these CAMs decreases the symptom of MS, but can leave the brain vulnerable to microbes. We have identified DICAM as a novel CAM molecule found on monocytes, macrophages, and dendritic cells. It seems to play a central role in the migration of specifically bad immune cells into the brain, and would allow good immune cells to patrol the brain. The goal of my current project is to show how DICAM causes infiltration of immune cells into the brain, describe the cells that express DICAM, and to see if targeting this molecule could improve MS treatment with fewer side effects. This project has the potential to pave the way for more selective therapeutic agents against MS, improving the quality of life of people with MS.