A team led by Prof Kiavash Movahedi (VUB, VIB) has mapped in detail how the immune system acts against pathogens invading the brain. The findings shed new light on host-pathogen interactions and the long-term consequences of brain infections. The results, published in the renowned journal Immunity, show how different types of immune cells are involved in the defence against brain infections. The researchers were able to show that the first line of defence is formed by brain-resident macrophages, a type of white blood cell that already lives in the healthy brain. These macrophages then recruit a large number of blood-derived macrophages that help to control the disease. ...
