The immune system is essential for fighting off common infectious disease encountered during life on earth. On some occasions however, the immune system mistakenly attacks itself, a term broadly referred to as autoimmunity (immunity against self).

 The neuroinflammation group is interested in the spectrum of disorders that results from abnormal inflammation or autoimmunity against the brain. Neuroinflammatory disorders observed in children include: 

The neuroinflammation group aims to improve understanding of these treatable disorders. Improving the recognition and understanding of these disorders will lead to specific targeted treatments to modulate the immune system, resulting in clinical improvements. Failure to recognise and failure to treat these disorders results in disability, and in some cases death.

The group has a number of clinical projects including:

• Clinical characteristic and follow-up of New South Wales children with a first episode of CNS demyelination (primary investigator Esther Tantsis)

The group’s primary aim is to define specific auto-antibodies in paediatric neuroinflammatory disorders. These aims include:

• Acute immune-mediated cerebellar syndromes of childhood: A live cerebellar neurone system examining autoantibody binding and functional effects on calcium signaling.
• Sydenham’s chorea: an autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder. Functional effects of auto-antibodies on dopamine metabolism and neurotransmission.  
• Autoimmunity against myelin oligodenrocyte glycoprotein in a first episode of paediatric CNS demyelination.

Fabienne Brilot leads the laboratory investigation of the neuroinflammation group. The group uses a number of techniques including FACS, live-cell imaging, and markers of cell signaling. We are appreciative of a number of local, national and international collaborators.

Contact: russelld@chw.edu.au