News – Page 3 – Akassoglou Lab

New Link between Lymphoma Growth and Blood-Brain Barrier Discovered

Abnormal leaks in the blood-brain barrier have previously been linked to the severity of CNS lymphoma. However, the molecular details remain unclear. Now, the Akassoglou Lab has shown in mice that CNS B-cell lymphoma cells cluster at sites where there is a leak in the blood-brain barrier. They also found that a blood protein called fibrinogen, which normally participates in blood clotting, promotes this clustering. To read full article, click here.

Gladstone scientist Jae Kyu Ryu, PhD, (right) and his colleagues discover new links between lymphoma growth and leaks in the blood-brain barrier.

Reshmi Tognatta – Berkelhammer Award Recipient

Reshmi Tognatta, PhD, received this award for Excellence in Neuroscience based on the strength and originality of her research.

New Research Center to Tackle Brain Diseases

Katerina Akassoglou will lead the new Gladstone-UCSF Center for Neurovascular Brain Immunology, which brings together a unique combination of expertise to enable novel therapies for Alzheimer Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis. To read full article, click here.

The Simon Family Trust Donates $2.5 Million to Biomedical Science

A generous philanthropic gift from the Simon Family Trust is supporting the creation of the new Gladstone-UCSF Center for Neurovascular Brain Immunology, which will be led by Katerina Akassoglou, PhD, senior investigator at Gladstone Institutes. The $2.5-million donation will help scientists study neurological diseases by combining basic and clinical research in vascular biology, immunology, and neuroscience. To read full article, click here.

Photo: Simon Family

Our Article was Selected for the Cover Image of Nature Neuroscience January 2021 Issue

(AP Photo/ David Duprey)

New seizure-preventing role identified for brain immune cells

Akassoglou Lab Researchers discovered in mice studies that the brain’s microglia, cells that constantly monitor surrounding neurons, keep spontaneous seizures in check by tempering neuronal hyperactivity. To read full article, click here.

(AP Photo/David Duprey)

An Unexpected Role for the Brain’s Immune Cells

In the new study, Akassoglou and her team show that microglia (yellow) extend their branches to touch nearby neurons (blue and green), preventing these neurons from becoming overly active and causing seizures. Video by Keun-Young Kim, Gladstone Institutes. To read full article, click here.