Journal Club | Monitoring the Retinotectal System to Assess Neuroinflammation-related Neural Damage

Striatech hosts a series of online journal clubs, highlighting the use and the applications of our OptoDrum device. Scientists present their projects and new data, and you can learn about the latest developments in the field. There is always a Q&A session at the end.

Topic: Assessing Neuroinflammation-related Neural Damage by Monitoring the Retinotectal System
Speaker: PD Dr. Janos Groh - Department of Neurology, University Hospital Würzburg

Description:
Neuroinflammation amplifies neural damage and disease outcome in models of various disorders. Dr Groh et al show that the normal aging process is also associated with chronic neuroinflammation. Myelinated axons, including the optic nerve, are especially vulnerable to aging-related degeneration. The impact of secondary neuroinflammation after primary neural perturbation can therefore be quantified by monitoring visual reflexes.
Dr. Groh found that the accumulation of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells in the aged CNS leads to axon degeneration and contributes to behavioral decline. CD8+ T cells might therefore represent a putative target for therapeutic approaches to mitigate structural and functional decline of the CNS related to disease or aging.