Neuroinflammatory mechanisms of chronic neurodegeneration and cognitive decline following traumatic brain injury

neuron

CnsAflame: Neuroinflammatory mechanisms of chronic neurodegeneration and cognitive decline following traumatic brain injury (http://www.neuron-eranet.org/_media/Plesnila.pdf)

Acronyme: CnsAflame
Call: NEURON JTC2014 “Neuroinflammation”
Implementation period: 01.04.2016. – 31.03.2019.
Project coordinator: Ludwig-Maximilians University, Institute for Stroke and Dementia, Munich,   Germany

Project partners:

University of Bordeaux, France
Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Latvia
Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden
The Hebrew University, Israel
University Hospital Würzburg, Germany

Leader of Latvian team: Professor Maija Dambrova
Total costs: 1 413 122 EUR
Costs for Latvian partner: 209 990 EUR

Summary
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the leading cause of disability and death in Europe among young adults and children and an increasing problem in the elderly. While the acute mortality of TBI was reduced in recent years due to improved emergency and hospital care, it has become evident that surviving patients often develop progressive brain atrophy and dementia (chronic TBI) of unknown origin resulting is significant morbidity. Recent animal and human studies suggest that chronic TBI might be accompanied by neuroinflammation. The hypothesis of the current application is that acute TBI triggers a chronic neuroinflammatory response which causes progressive post-traumatic neurodegeneration, cognitive decline and dementia. The scientific aim of the current project is therefore to characterize and understand long-lasting neuroinflammatory changes occurring after TBI and to use this knowledge for developing novel therapeutic strategies which may protect the brain from chronic post-traumatic atrophy and functional decline.

In order to achieve this overall goal, CnsAflame project brought together six internationally competitive research groups with unique experience in TBI and neuroinflammation research and will use state-of-the-art technology (tissue clearing and 3D imaging by light-sheet microscopy, ultra-high field 17.6 T MRI, 2-photon microscopy, 3T PET/MRI) to investigate post-traumatic neuroinflammation in animal models of TBI and in TBI patients. Thereby a unique translational research platform will be created which has the means and the potential to generate novel therapeutic concepts for patients suffering from chronic TBI.