Virus-specific tissue-resident T cells in brain of Alzheimer's disease patients.
Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia. The cause remains unknown, but we are gradually gaining a better understanding of the disease's progression and underlying processes.
Notably, the immune system, which usually protects us from pathogens, becomes dysregulated and appears to worsen the disease. It is unclear why this occurs and which role the different immune cells play in this process.
In this project, we will map the characteristics of T cells in the brain of Alzheimer's patients and healthy individuals. By identifying the types of T cells and the molecules they produce, we can estimate whether these cells aim to suppress or enhance the inflammatory response.
Subsequently, we will determine where these cells are located in brain tissue, to better understand in which aspect of the disease process they are involved in.
Finally, we aim to discover what causes T cells to migrate to the brain. We suspect that common herpesvirus infections, which we acquire at a young age, may cause T cells to reside in our brains. While these cells would protect us from severe viral infections in the brain, the same type of immune responses may later damage neurons and worsen brain inflammation.
In summary, this research will provide better insight into the function of T cells in Alzheimer's disease. It may also offer new targets for developing therapies that slow the disease process.
