GOALS
Can we detect inflammation in PD?
How does it change over time?
Can we find ways to reduce inflammation in PD?
How could we see the effects of an anti-inflammatory treatment in persons with PD?
SUPPORT
NIH Award $9,555,813 (9/2018 – 7/2023)
Additional support from UAB School of Medicine and philanthropic funding
SCIENTIFIC PREMISE
The Alabama Udall Center is based on substantial and growing evidence for the role of the immune system in PD pathogenesis
Our central hypothesis is that immune cells are activated early in PD, and that inhibiting their pro-inflammatory activities will protect from neurodegeneration
OUR QUESTIONS:
Is there immune activation in persons with PD early in the disease, and and do increased pro-inflammatory signals predict more rapid clinical decline, particularly in cognition? Can LRRK2 and JAK/STAT signaling pathways be targeted to modulate immune responses to α-synuclein (α-syn) induced neurodegeneration?