Neuroinflammation Group

WHO WE ARE

Our field of research is on tryptophan metabolism (via the kynurenine pathway) in human brain diseases. This field, that seems “obscure” for many, is actually exponentially exploding in term of interest and so publications.

The kynurenine pathway (KP) is a major route of L-tryptophan catabolism. Depending upon physiological context and the cell type involved, the KP can produce a variety of neurotoxic, neuroprotective and immune tolerance-inducing intermediates.

Over the past 14 years, our group has been at the international forefront in characterising the activation of the KP and its metabolites in the neuroinflammatory response to brain injury and diseases. Most notably, we have characterised the components of the KP expressed in a variety of human brain cell types and applied this knowledge to characterise the specific roles of the KP in neurodegenerative conditions. Moreover, our group has been responsible for identifying a common link between neuroinflammation and KP metabolites in several major brain disorders. Specifically, during neuroinflammation there is down regulation in production of neuroprotective KP metabolites and increased generation of neurotoxic metabolites.

Over the last decade, we have demonstrated the importance of the kynurenine pathway in several major brain diseases including motor neuron diseases (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson’s disease, depression, autism and the persistence of brain tumours. Our research has opened several promising research opportunities and has important therapeutic potential. Our work is the focus of national and international collaborations and grants.

MAJOR RESEARCHERS

Dr Gilles GUILLEMIN (Head of group)

Dr Edwin LIM

Dr Wei WU

WHAT WE DO

Specific research foci of our group include:

Involvement of the kynurenine pathway in multiple sclerosis:
Dr Edwin LIM, Ms Gayathri SUNDARAM (PhD student) and Alban BESSEDE (PhD student)
Involvement of the kynurenine pathway in Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis:

Ms Jongmin LEE, and Alban BESSEDE (PhD student)

Involvement of the kynurenine pathway in Alzheimer’s disease:

Dr Wei Wu

Involvement of the kynurenine pathway in Parkinson’s disease:

Ms Anna ZINGER (PhD student)

Involvement of the kynurenine pathway in brain tumour persistence:

Ms Seray ADAMS (PhD student), Alban BESSEDE (PhD student)

Involvement of the kynurenine pathway in disruption of the blood brain barrier:

Dr Nady BRAIDY and M. Alban Bessede (PhD student)

Involvement of the kynurenine pathway in HIV dementia:

Dr Wei Wu and Ms Gloria Castellano-Gonzales (PhD student)

PUBLICATIONS

80 publications (46 in the past 5 years) in some of the top journals in the field of Neuroscience including Nature x1, J. Neuroscience x2, GLIA x3, Neurotox Res x3, PloS ONE x3. See http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=Guillemin%20Gj

FUNDING

The members of our group have been the recipient of > 30 grants and fellowships including a NHMRC RD Wright (2004-09), NHMRC project grant (011554), MSRA fellowship (2011-13), a highly competitive grant from Alzheimer USA (2009-11) and other.

PRESS RELEASES AND MEDIA CONFERENCES

August 2005: “Smoking gun for Alzheimer’s disease”:

In a world first, Australian researchers have found a toxin that plays an important role in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common cause of dementia…. Quinolinic acid is part of a biochemical pathway called the kynurenine pathway,” said the lead author of the research, UNSW’s Dr Gilles Guillemin, who is based at the Centre for Immunology at St Vincent’s Hospital. “The activation of that pathway is also found in other major brain diseases including Huntington’s disease, stroke, dementia and schizophrenia…”

Broadcasted on all 4 Australian TV channels almost of the Australian newspapers. First page of the UNSW web site, plus 756 hits on medical web site around the world (Google search for “Guillemin & Alzheimer)”.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Dr Guillemin is the Editor in Chief of the International Journal for Tryptophan Research:

USEFUL LINKS

http://www.debbailey.org/Researchers/DrGillesGuillemin/tabid/103/Default.aspx
http://www.neurotoxicitysociety.org/
http://www.msra.org.au/
http://www.mndaust.asn.au/