The role of adaptive immunity in preterm infant brain injury
| Reference number | |
| Coordinator | Göteborgs Universitet - Institutionen för neurovetenskap och fysiologi, sektionen för fysiologi |
| Funding from Vinnova | SEK 3 000 000 |
| Project duration | January 2012 - December 2016 |
| Status | Completed |
Purpose and goal
Among premature infants of very low birth weight, 5%10% of the surviving infants develop cerebral palsy and 25%50% develop defects in cognition, attention, behavior, and socialization related to neurodevelopmental impairment. The current collaboration between GU and Harvard Medical School seeks to understand how the adaptive immune system is involved in neonatal brain injury so as to identify strategies to prevent and treat brain injury in preterm newborns. The collaboration has strengthened perinatal brain injury research at GU and Swedish pediatric medicine in general.
Expected results and effects
This project has used the combined strengths on brain research/immunology from the Perinatal Center at GU and Harvard Medical School to investigate the interactions between neonatal immunity and perinatal brain injury. The ultimate aim is to develop therapeutic strategies that will facilitate the treatment of preterm newborns that are at high risk of brain injury. These activities have assisted the project leader in developing skills as an independent research director and greatly promoted the project leader´s professional career development.
Planned approach and implementation
The project has been conducted through collaborative projects in Boston and Gothenburg. Dr. Wang is working at the interface between perinatal brain injury and immunology, and Prof. Cantor has provided Dr. Wang with a unique genetically modified mouse line deficient in the recently identified intracellular form of osteopontin. The results of these projects have been disseminated through international conferences and scientific papers. To obtain support for the collaborative projects, they have obtained several grants, including a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation grant.