Brainflammation: The Role of the Innate Immune System in CNS Disorders
http://www.nyas.org/Events/Detail.aspx?cid=0b4785bf-4b6b-4bbd-9b22-0286aa7ad920 Tuesday, December 6, 2011 | 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
The New York Academy of Sciences
"Neuroinflammation has been implicated in nearly every disorder of the CNS. As the resident innate immune cells of the CNS, microglia are the vanguard in host defense and in tissue repair. Their constant surveillance of the CNS enables them to rapidly respond to invading pathogens as well as mechanical or chemical injury. However, a growing body of evidence indicates that chronic or maladaptive activation of these very same cells plays a critical role in a variety of CNS disorders (including autism, psychiatric disorders, epilepsy, and neurodegenerative diseases such as AD, PD, ALS, and MS). Furthermore, recent work suggests that peripheral monocytes (another component of the innate immune system) may also become activated and then recruited to the CNS where they contribute to the regulation of neuroinflammation and the course of such disorders. These two cell populations, separated by the blood brain barrier and time, may therefore provide a key link between peripheral and central inflammatory processes. This symposium gathers experts on microglia/monocyte biology to discuss the role of the innate immune system in neurological disorders, what insights can be learned about their biology from their dysfunction in various disease contexts, and possible therapeutic interventions."
