Modulation Of Toll-Like Receptors To Prevent Post-Traumatic Epileptogenesis

Post-traumatic epilepsy is a growing health issue due to the increasing incidence of brain trauma in both the civilian and military populations, and the increased risk for developing epilepsy even many years after the brain injury. Activation of immune responses is an integral part of the brain’s response to injury. Dr. Santhakumar’s research will focus on a class of innate immune receptors known to regulate neuronal growth and excitability and determine their contribution to hippocampal structural and functional changes after brain injury. The studies will identify the cellular interactions that mediate innate immune responses following brain trauma and test whether modulation of the immune response can reduce the risk for developing epilepsy following brain injury.