Drug Discovery

Anti-Neuroinflammation

Ligands that Suppress Neuroinflammatory Responses

Investigator(s): D. Martin Watterson, Ph.D. & Linda J. Van Eldik, Ph.D.

Institution(s): Northwestern Drug Discovery Program, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, IL

Duration: 2001 - 2004

Summary:

Inflammation of the brain occurs in Alzheimer's disease and may play a role in damaging brain cells. Animal and clinical data suggests that preventing inflammation may be a useful approach to preventing and/or treating the disease. Drs Watterson and Van Eldik have already identified a number of novel anti-inflammatory compounds that they can use as building blocks to develop newer more effective agents. The aims of this program are to discover and develop new anti-inflammatory compounds; to explore their modes of action and to evaluate the best of the new compounds in animal models to determine their anti-inflammatory effects.