Neurodevelopmental disorders, such as Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), affect 1 in 68 children. A rapidly growing body of evidence implicates inflammation in the progression of such disorders; therefore, understanding how inflammation changes central nervous system development is crucial for developing effective ways to treat neurological and psychiatric illnesses. Glial cells, an important type of brain cell, are thought to play an active role in the progression of neurological diseases by engulfing cellular components and debris, but the underlying molecular mechanisms that govern these processes remain to be fully made clear. This research aims to uncover and characterize the dynamic properties of glial cells in normal brain development and in response to injury and inflammation in the hopes of identifying targets for future therapeutic intervention. We will use specially adapted techniques for high resolution microscopy to observe glial cell dynamics in the intact brains of living animals, and, through the use of highlytargeted pharmacological treatments, observe how the dysregulation of specific cellular signalling pathways effects the ability of glia to respond to inflammation. This research will help to establish how the complex interactions between different brain cells are disrupted by inflammation in real time, knowledge that is critical for understanding the progression of neurodevelopmental disorders such as ASD and Schizophrenia.
Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC)
Autism Research Database (AFD)
