P27 - TRP channels as regulators of autoimmune CNS inflammation
We have established pre-clinical multiple sclerosis (MS) models that are well suited to study autoreactive T and B cell responses in the CNS, as well as phagocyte function in the inflamed white and grey matter. Our preliminary data indicate that TRP channels regulate these processes and we will employ Trpm7R/R kinase-dead mice as well as CRISPR-based gene editing approaches to unravel if and how TRP channels impact the initiation and perpetuation of inflammatory CNS lesions. To assess whether TRP channels can serve as therapeutic targets in MS we will study their expression and activity in immune cells derived from cerebral spinal fluid of MS patients and target their activation in our preclinical MS models.
