Enebie Ramos Cáceres

Neutrophils are critical components of our innate immune response against microbes and inflammation. Upon activation, they can release neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) composed of nuclear DNA decorated with cytotoxic proteins. Although neutrophils are typically restricted from the central nervous system of healthy individuals, they can infiltrate it under certain neurodegenerative diseases. Additionally, it was recently shown that amyloid fibrils can induce NET formation in vitro. Our goal is to develop chemical reporters to study neutrophil activity and NET formation in real-time. We will study the effect of brain-associated amyloid fibrils on NET formation and investigate their effect on neuron biology.