Neuroinflammation
IMMUNOPHARMACOLOGY, INSTITUTO OSWALDO CRUZ, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ
Principal Investigators: Hugo Caire de Castro Faria Neto & Fernando Bozza
Interests: the impact of infectious systemic inflammatory syndromes in the brain innate immunity and cognitive function
Subjects: human samples (healthy, septic patients, ); experimental models (Swiss, C57/BL6 and Balb/C mice).
Methodologies:
- ELISAs: cytokines, chemokines, growth factors, eicosanoids;
- FACS: immunophenotyping, cytokines, cell signaling (MAPK and NF-kB);
- PCR and qPCR: genes of innate immunity;
- Culture of neuronal cells, and glia;
- Models of sepsis and malária;
- Cognitive tests in experimental models.
Contact: hugocfneto@gmail.com & bozza.fernando@gmail.com
INEUROINFLAMMATION/NEURODEGENERATION, UFMG, Belo Horizonte, MG
Principal Investigators: Aline Silva de Miranda, Antônio Lúcio Teixeira, Milene Alvarenga Rachid and Leonardo Cruz de Souza.
Interests: Translational research in neuroimmunology aiming to investigate inflammatory processes associated with behavior, mood and cognitive disorders and potential therapies strategies in animal models of encephalopathy as well as to address potential inflammatory biomarkers for human neuropsychiatric/neurodegenerative disorders.
Subjects: human samples (healthy, traumatic brain injury, encephalic vascular accident, parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer disease); experimental models.
Methodologies:
- Behavioral tests: cognitive functioning; anxiety and depressive-like behaviors, locomotor and exploratory activities.
- ELISAs and CBAs: neurotrophins, cytokines and chemokines.
- FACS: immunophenotyping, cytokines, cell signaling.
- PCR: neurotrophic factors and cytokine signaling.
- Western Blot: Apoptotic pathways.
- Histopathology: Microscopy techniques for glial responses, cell death and leukocytes recruitment to the central nervous system.
Contact: mirandas.aline@gmail.com
APPLIED IMMUNOLOGY, UEL, Londrina, PR
Principal Investigators: Edna Maria Vissoci Reiche, Andréa Name Colado Simão, Marcell Alysson Batisti Lozovoyt, Isais Dichi
Interests: the investigation of inflammatory, metabolic and genetic biomarkers in inflammatory and autoimmune diseases
Subjects: human samples (healthy individuals, patients with acute ischemic stroke, sepsis, HIV-1 infection, multiple sclerosis, neuromyelitis optica, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, dermatomyositis, psoriais)
Methodologies:
-Indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA): antinuclear antibodies, anti-dsDNA, anti neurtoiphil citoplasmic antibodies (ANCA),
- ELISAs: speficic autoimmune antibodies (anti-SSA/RO, anti-SSB/La, antio-SM, anti-RNP, anti-Scl70
- Chemiluminescence microparticples immunoassay (CMIA): hormones in general (including vitamin D), sorological research of infectious diseases
- PCR and qPCR: genetic polymorphisms
- Oxidative stress biomarkers
- Luminex Plataform: Serum levels of cytokines and adhesion molecules
- Turbidimetry: acute phase proteins (CRP, ferritin, C3, C4) autoantibodies (rheumatoid factor, anti-CCP)
- Other methods that are routinely used for the immunological and molecular diagnosis of the Clinical Analyis Laboratory of the University Hospital of Universidade Estadual de Londrina
Contact: reiche@sercomtel.com.br
INFLAMMATION AND PAIN LAB (LID), Center for research in inflammatory disease (CRID), USP, Ribeirão Preto, SP
Principal Investigators: Thiago Mattar Cunha, Fernando Q. Cunha e José Carlos Alves-Filho
Interests: To investigate the mechanisms by which immune and glial cells drive neuronal plasticity in the context of chronic pain.
Subjects: experimental models of chronic pain (C57/BL6 and Balb/C mice) several transgenic mouse strains, including (transgenic mouse in which glial cells express fluorescent proteins).
Methodologies:
- Nociceptive behavior tests
- ELISAs and milliplex
- FACS and cell-sorten
- PCR and qPCR, western blotting
- confocal and two-photon
- patch-clamp
- Calcium-image
- Cre-Lox system
Contact: thicunha@fmrp.usp.br