Neuroimmunology and Neurodegenerative Diseases

עברית
Welcome to the frontier where neuroimmunology converges with brain pathology. Within this domain, the Faculty of Life Sciences at Bar-Ilan University deciphers the complex dialogue between the immune system and the brain. By integrating developmental biology, advanced imaging, and translational neuroscience, we investigate brain decline across three critical dimensions:
  • The Feto-Maternal Imprint: Mapping how pregnancies with a Down syndrome (trisomy 21) fetus significantly elevate a mother’s risk for late-onset Alzheimer’s. We track how toxic proteins cross the fetal-maternal barrier to seed amyloid deposition in the maternal brain.
  • The Meningeal Architecture: Uncovering how adaptive B cells organize into aggressive immune hubs (Ectopic Lymphoid Structures) at the brain's boundaries, using light-sheet microscopy to reveal how these structures drive aging and pathology.
  • The Trisomy 21 Blueprint: Dissecting why individuals with Down syndrome face early-onset Alzheimer’s. By tracking how lifelong immune dysregulation interacts with amyloid accumulation, we aim to discover targets that protect both DS and broader Alzheimer's populations.
We look past the traditional boundaries of neurology to build the frameworks that stop cognitive decline and seed preventative care before symptoms take hold.
Prof. Okun Eitan

Mechanism of how Sex and Pregnancy affect Neuroimmunology and Age-related Brain Diseases

How does the immune system influence how we think, remember, and age? The brain does not work alone. It is in constant communication with the immune system, and this dialogue powerfully shapes cognition across life and during disease.

What the lab explores. The lab studies how immune activity outside the brain influences memory, aging, and vulnerability to brain disorders such as Alzheimer disease and Down syndrome, and how biological sex modulates these effects. A unique line of research investigates how pregnancy and fetal development leave lasting marks on the mother’s brain. This work shows how immune signals transferred during pregnancy can reshape brain function and affect cognition many years later, opening new possibilities for prevention. The lab views brain disease as a whole body process that connects immunity, development, and aging.

The lab utilized methods that include Cell sequencing, advanced whole-brain imaging, unique transgenic mouse models, immunology, and behavioral studies.

Hobbies:  Classic rock, guitars, and everything in between.

Prof. Emeritus Brodie Chaya

  • Cancer stem cells from brain tumors for analyzing disease mechanisms and for drug and cell therapy screening

  • Three dimensional human cultures - novel models of neural rare disorders and muscular dystrophies

  • Exosomes in intercellular communication and drug delivery in neural and muscle diseases and brain tumors.

  • Non-coding RNAs in cancer and degenerative disorders

  • Unique signaling pathways in brain tumors and neurodegenerative diseases