Grant: CIHR Fellowship

Inflammation in the brain is associated with common diseases such as stroke, Alzheimer's disease, depression and multiple sclerosis (MS). The biochemical basis of inflammation including specific metabolites remains unknown. Metabolites are all of the chemicals that exist in our body. Metabolomics is the scientific field that studies the combination of many metabolites and is important for diagnosing complicated diseases and investigating disease mechanisms. I have recently shown that the combination of metabolites found in cerebrospinal fluid indicates whether or not the patient has MS. I have recently extended this study by performing a metabolomics study using a mouse model of MS in which I discovered a molecule that regulates metabolite levels and controls inflammation in the brain. This molecule significantly delayed onset and reduced severity of disease in this MS model without adverse side-effects. I propose to investigate how this molecule works and determine if it is a potential candidate for human treatment. My research will yield a more complete understanding of disease mechanisms and potentially new treatments option for brain inflammation.