the project

Controlling the migration and penetration of white blood cells into the brain is essential to its protection against pathogenic organisms and to the prevention of inflammatory reactions. But what actually does cause white blood cells to penetrate the brain? In this project, researchers from Antwerp University and Hasselt University have joined forces to further investigate the underlying mechanisms that lead to the migration of two specialised white blood cell types, i.e. dendritic cells and regulatory T cells. With the financial support of the Charcot Research Fund, they will be researching the differences in the gene expression of migratory and non-migratory cells, which will be separated from each other by a blood-brain barrier model they have developed using RNA sequencing, a powerful new technology. Ultimately, their aim is to identify interesting targets for development into new, improved treatments for MS.