Seen here is a side by side comparison showing microglia in their resting state (right) compared with microglia in a mouse undergoing neurodegeneration (left). This image was taken as part of an analysis of how a particular immune receptor affects microglial inflammation. We were evaluating whether an inhibitor of this receptor could cross into the brain and affect its function in vivo.

This project has aimed to take technologies refined in the Koch Institute to study glioblastoma and use them to develop new therapies against Alzheimer’s disease. We hope to understand how immunotherapies targeted against cancer may also affect the progression of dementia.