Journal of Multiple Sclerosis
ISSN - 2376-0389NLM - 101654564
David A Brown
Laboratory of Neuroinflammation, The Peter Duncan Neurosciences Research Unit, Centre for Applied Medical Research, St Vincent’s Hospital and University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Dr. David Brown has an abiding interest in the examination of immune regulation, particularly as it applies to the central nervous system (CNS). Dr Brown’s interest in neuroinflammation was sparked when he noticed that many of his patients with systemic autoimmune disease had significant neurological dysfunction, ranging from depression and personality change to frank neuroinflammatory disease. After his postdoctoral studies at the Salk Institute, USA, Dr Brown returned to Australia to establish his own laboratory at The St Vincent’s Centre for Applied Medical Research. Here using a number of unique models of neurionflammatory disease, he is examining the regulation of the immune system and its interaction with the CNS. Insights that are being gained using these models are applicable to many autoimmune diseases and form a stepping stone to new treatments for these diseases.
Using animal modes related to and including experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, and animal model of Multiple Sclerosis, Dr Brown has defined new pathways of immune cell traffic through the brain that are capable of being modified. Modification of these pathways provide an opportunity to change immunity against the brain and treat diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis. In addition to defining how the immune cells interact and travel through the CNS, Dr Brown has an interest in several molecules including macrophage inhibitory cytokine-1 (MIC-1/GDF15) and CCAAT enhancer binding protein delta (CEBPD).
The transcription factor CEBPD is a regulator of inflammation that is not usually expressed at high levels. During inflammation it is highly expressed, controls the immune response and is found at higher concentrations in the blood and brain of MS patients. In his animal models, Dr Brown found that protein levels of CEBPD could be reduced in circulating blood cells that, in turn, reduced CNS disease. Future studies are planned to develop gene therapeutic approaches targeting CEBPD in immune cells outside the brain to treat MS.
The other Molecule that Dr Brown is interested in is MIC-1/GDF15. He has authored many high impact factor papers defining the utility of macrophage inhibitory cytokine-1 (MIC-1/GDF15) measurement in blood. He has had a long term interest in the examination of MIC-1/GDF15 in many diseases and recently found it’s measurement could predict people at higher risk of death within the next 14 years. He is now applying his extensive knowledge of neuroinflammation and the models of disease he has established in his laboratory to study MIC-1/GDF15 and how it interact with the CNS and the immune response against it. Currently it appears MIC-1/GDF15 is a promising therapy for autoimmune diseases.
Current Research Projects
Selected Publications
CNS, Neurology,Oncology and Immunology
