Roles Of Brain Neuroimmune System In Neurodegeneration

Environmental Health Sciences

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Abstract

The major goal of this project was to examine the roles of glial cells in iflammation-related neurodegeneration. We have employed both in vitro and in vivo rodent models of Parkinson's disease by focusing our studies on the mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons. Our laboratory was among the first to report that lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced neurotoxicity depended on the presence of glial cells. These cells secrete a variety of proinflammatory factors, including cytokines, free radicals and arachidonate metabolites that are the main contributors to the pathogenesis of inflammation-related neurodegenerative diseases. Our current efforts focus on determining the relative importance of these proinflammatory factors in glia-mediated neuronal damage.