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Alexander
Kusnecov, PhD |
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Title:
Assistant Professor |
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Affiliation: Rutgers, The
State University of NJ |
| Department:
Psychology |
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Research Interests:
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My research addresses the
functional relationship between brain,
endocrine system, and the immune system. In
recent years is has been recognized that
events taking place within the immune system
also occur in the brain. For example, the
glial cells of the brain produce many
products (eg., cytokines and chemokines)
similar to those made by circulating
leukocytes that execute immune functions.
The elaboration of these molecules in the
brain is the basis of neuroinflammatory
research, and is relevant to any area of
research involving traumatic or insidious
injury to the brain (eg., traumatic brain
injury, exposure to neurotoxicants,
neurodegenerative diseases, such as
Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases).
In this context, my main research questions
relate to how central and peripheral immune
events influence the cognitive and emotional
state of animals, and through what
mechanisms (central and peripheral) this
might occur. The primary mechanism of action
is through proinflammatory cytokines, such
as tumor necrosis factor (TNF), as well as
anxiogenic neuropeptides. We have addressed
these mechanisms by focusing on their
production (and manipulation -
pharmacologically and through use of mutant
mice) following immune challenge with
bacterial toxins. In particular, we have
been using staphylococcal enterotoxins,
which exert "superantigenic " effects on T
lymphocytes. These toxins result in dramatic
elevations of circulating cytokines, and
cause increased functional recruitment of
brain areas mediating emotional and/or
stress-like responses, including activation
of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal axis.
From a toxicological perspective, we are
interested in how neurotoxic compounds might
alter these neuroimmunological phenomena,
thereby disrupting what may under normal
circumstances be a fully understandable
adaptive process. |
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