Immunology Seminar Series: “The Regulation of Cytokine Signaling in Astrocytes: Mechanisms that Dampen CNS Autoimmunity”

Jessica Williams, PhD Cleveland Clinic "The Regulation of Cytokine Signaling in Astrocytes: Mechanisms that Dampen CNS Autoimmunity" Dr. Williams' lab is interested in how cytokines mediate neuroimmune crosstalk to facilitate CNS repair. Cytokines and their receptors are expressed in and around MS lesions by immune cells and glia, critical CNS cells that maintain homeostasis, support blood-brain barrier function, and provide neuronal support. However, we know relatively little about how these functions change in response to inflammation. Further, we have shown that glia, including astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and their progenitors, exhibit heterogeneity between regions of the CNS, as well as differential responses to cytokines. Thus, a second focus of the Williams Lab is to determine how regionally distinct populations of glia communicate with immune cells to mediate autoimmune processes during MS pathogenesis and recovery. https://duke.zoom.us/j/98145597137