CURRENT PROJECTS
PARKINSON DISEASE
CD4 T Cell Phenotypes
Border-Associated Macrophages
Microglial Activation
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MULTIPLE SYSTEM ATROPHY
Interferon gamma responses
Inflammatory Monocytes
B cell responses
MICROBIOME
Inflammation in models of Parkinson Disease
RESEARCH INTERESTS
My lab's overall research goal is to understand and investigate the cellular and immunological mechanisms underlying the initiation and progression of synucleinopathy disorders. Specifically, my lab research focuses on how the protein alpha-synuclein contributes to microglial activation, peripheral immune cell infiltration, and subsequent activation of the immune response in Parkinson disease (PD) and Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) models. In the lab we work with multiple immune cell types, including myeloid cell subsets, T cells, and B cells to pursue research regarding these mechanisms. Therapeutic strategies targeting and blocking immune system activation have been neuroprotective, however, differentially targeting immune cell subsets in the central nervous system (CNS), specifically microglia, without undesirable effects on extra-CNS immunity has been a challenge. By combining transgenic animals with an alpha-synuclein viral models of PD and MSA to study the role of immune cells subsets, we aim to dissect mechanisms of immune-mediated disease pathogenesis in synucleinopathy disorders.
Interests: Neuroimmunology, Neuroscience, Immunology, Neurodegeneration, Aging
CURRENT LAB MEMBERS
A cool group of people doing some cool science
PAST LAB MEMBERS
Still cool people still doing cool science.
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
Williams GP, Schonhoff AM, Jurkuvenaite A, Gallups NJ, Standaert DG, Harms AS. CD4 T cells mediate brain inflammation and neurodegeneration in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease. Brain. 2021; Aug 17;144(7):2047-2059.
doi: 10.1093/brain/awab103.
Williams GP, Marmion DJ, Schonhoff AM, Jurkuvenaite A, Won WJ, Standaert DG, Kordower JH, Harms AS. T cell infiltration in both human multiple system atrophy and a mouse model of the disease. Acta Neuropathol. 2020; May;139(5):855-874.
doi: 10.1007/s00401-020-02126-w.
Schonhoff AM, Wiliams GP, Wallen ZD, Standaert DG, Harms AS. Innate and adaptive immune responses in Parkinson's disease. Prog Brain Res. 2020;252;169-216.
doi: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2019.10.006.
Harms AS, Thome AD, Yan Z, Schonhoff AM, Williams GP, Li X, Liu Y, Qin H, Benveniste EN, Standaert D. G. Peripheral monocyte entry is required for alpha-Synuclein induced inflammation and Neurodegeneration in a model of Parkinson disease. Exp Neurol. 2018;300:179–187. doi:10.1016/j.expneurol.2017.11.010
