CDCO Academic Node

Advancing therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases

Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and motor neurone disease are associated with a number of cerebral vascular changes that impact on the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB) trafficking of endogenous and exogenous agents. Using a host of in vitro, in situ and in vivo approaches, the CDCO Academic Node investigates the impact of these BBB/BSCB alterations on CNS exposure of drugs and exploits these molecular changes at these barriers as novel therapeutic targets to restore brain homeostasis. The CDCO Academic Node also evaluates the role of drug transporters in other cell types, including microglia, and has an active program in identifying and manipulating proteins contributing to microglial-mediated neuroinflammation in neurodegenerative diseases.