We are committed to advancing our understanding of how inflammation contributes to the causes of chronic neurological diseases.
Neuroinflammation has been identified as an important factor in many pathologies of the nervous system like neurodegenerative diseases (including Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementias), chronic pain or autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS). However, the causal or consequential role of neuroinflammation still remains unclear. These diseases impose a heavy burden on society and are a major cause for morbidity, mortality and impaired quality of life of afflicted patients.
Multiple Sclerosis
Having established alemtuzumab [“Campath”] as a highly effective anti-inflammatory therapy for early relapsing multiple sclerosis, we are now tackling the post-inflammatory phase of the disease by testing a novel remyelinating therapies.
To measure remyelination, we are using advanced magnetic resonance imaging and electrophysiological assessments of vision, in the Clinical Vision Lab. In addition, we are exploring how best to use current MS drugs by studying real-world data from thousands of people with MS all over the world.
For more details see our website for Clinical MS Research
We were awarded an MS Society of Excellence Centre for the Cambridge Centre for Myelin Repair, which brings together laboratory scientists, physicists and clinicians from across the biomedical campus. Our six research themes are:
1. Personalising Treatments through Big Data and AI
2. Discovering and Proving New Repair therapies
3. Our Visual and MRI Outcome Development Program
4. Studying Children with MS, NMO and related conditions
5. Study ageing in multiple sclerosis
6. Measuring and sustainably addressing healthcare inequalities.
Parkinson’s Disease
We have shown that people taking anti-inflammatory drugs are less prone to dementia associated with Parkinson’s disease, and that Parkinson’s disease is associated with a pro-inflammatory serum cytokine profile and abnormal peripheral B lymphocyte phenotype. We will now conduct the first placebo-controlled trial of an immunosuppressant in people with established Parkinson’s disease to prevent cognitive impairment.
In recent years, in partnership we have shown that ~7% of people with early psychosis have serum antibodies directed against neuronal membrane targets, and that they seem to respond to immunotherapy in open-label studies. This underpins a randomised placebo-controlled national multi-centre trial to test this innovative treatment approach for the first time.
We are committed to advancing our understanding of how inflammation contributes to the causes of chronic neurological diseases, and ambitious to conduct both fundamental science as well as start innovative therapy trials across all diseases of the nervous system involving inflammation.
Principle Investigators
Prof Franklin Aigbirhio
Prof Michael Coleman
Prof Alasdair Coles
Dr Tim Fryer
Mr Adel Helmy
Dr Joanne Jones
Dr Will McEwan
Dr Stefano Pluchino
Prof Stephen Sawcer
Dr Caroline Williams-Gray
Dr Chao Zhao