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DESCRIPTION:\nSupported by the generosity of the Killam Trusts\, The Neuro'
 s Killam Seminar Series invites outstanding guest speakers whose research 
 is of interest to the scientific community at The Neuro and McGill Univers
 ity.\n\n\nJoin us virtually\, on ZOOM.\n\nHost: Jo Anne Stratton\n\n\n \n
 \nThe Immune System Shapes Brain Function: Neuro-Immunotherapy to Combat A
 lzheimer’s Disease and Other Forms of Dementia\n\nLecture Abstract: Over t
 he past 28 years\, we have challenged the dogma of the brain immune isolat
 ion\, demonstrating that the brain critically depends on innate and adapti
 ve immune cells for its maintenance and repair. Deep understanding of thes
 e relationships led us to propose that peripheral immune cells\, located i
 n specialized niches at the brain's borders\, along with neurons and non-n
 euronal cells within the brain parenchyma\, create an ecosystem that enhan
 ces the brain's resilience to continuous and diverse perturbations. We fur
 ther suggested that symptom onset in dementia could be linked with dysfunc
 tion of the communication between the brain and immune system\, which enha
 nces the on-going process of inflammation in the brain\, the major driver 
 of cognitive deterioration in dementia regardless of its primary cause. Ac
 cordingly\, we proposed that boosting the immune system could help restore
  immunity to mitigate neurodegenerative diseases. We found that transientl
 y blocking the inhibitory PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint pathway\, initiates
  an immune response in the periphery\, which leads to disease modification
  within the brain in animal models of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and tauopat
 hy. The effect is dependent on homing of reparative immune cells\, includi
 ng monocyte-derived macrophages and FoxP3 regulatory T cells. The earliest
  effect observed in the brain is\n	the clearance of senescent microglia\, w
 ith downstream effects on multiple pathological factors\, including reduce
 d inflammation\, and rescue of synapses and neurons. This approach is curr
 ently being evaluated in a clinical trial involving AD patients\, utilizin
 g a novel anti-PD-L1 antibody specifically tailored for AD. Overall\, our 
 preclinical studies demonstrate the feasibility of treating neurodegenerat
 ive diseases by targeting a common immunological protective pathway\, rega
 rdless of the primary cause of disease\, thereby opening new avenues for t
 herapeutic intervention to combat brain diseases.\n\nMichal Schwartz\n	Prof
 essor of neuroimmunology\, Weizmann Institute of Science\n\n\n\nProfessor 
 of Neuroimmunology at the Weizmann Institute of Science. Schwartz is the w
 orld pioneer in breaking the long-held dogma regarding the relationships b
 etween the central nervous system and the immune system. She introduced th
 e current understanding that systemic immune cells are guardians of the br
 ain\, needed for life-long brain maintenance and repair. Based on her comp
 rehension of the brain-immune relationship\, she proposed that senescence 
 or exhaustion of the immune system plays a key role in brain aging\, and i
 n exacerbating Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other forms of dementia. She s
 uggested a novel treatment for AD\, currently in clinical trial\, to harne
 ss the immune system to help the brain. The impact of her scientific insig
 hts is reflected in her extensive publication record in leading journals a
 nd high citation number (H factor 124\, Google Scholar\; more than 62\,000
  citations)\, and the number of invited lectures that she delivered. Schwa
 rtz received numerous prestigious national and international awards for he
 r outstanding achievements. Most recently\, in 2019\, Schwartz received th
 e EMET prize\, one of the most prestigious Israeli awards for academic ach
 ievement\, and the FENS EJN Award\, 2022 for her outstanding contribution 
 to the field of Neuroimmunology. In 2023\, she was awarded the Israel Priz
 e in life sciences\, an award bestowed by the State of Israel\, and regard
 ed as the state's highest honor. She served as elected president of the In
 ternational Society of Neuroimmunology (2016-2018). Twenty of her former t
 rainees currently hold academic faculty positions in Israel\, the USA\, UK
 \, Europe and Australia. She is the scientific co-founder of a startup bio
 pharma\, ImmunoBrain\, which based on her technology\, is currently testin
 g an immunotherapy in the UK\, Israel and the Netherlands\, with the goal 
 of defeating Alzheimer’s disease.\n
DTSTART:20260203T210000Z
DTEND:20260203T220000Z
LOCATION:ZOOM | Virtual
SUMMARY:[VRITUAL] Killam Seminar Series: The Immune System Shapes Brain Fun
 ction: Neuro-Immunotherapy to Combat Alzheimer’s  Disease and Other Forms 
 of Dementia
URL:https://www.mcgill.ca/neuro/channels/event/vritual-killam-seminar-serie
 s-immune-system-shapes-brain-function-neuro-immunotherapy-combat-370535
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