Tel Aviv Neuroscientist Wins Grant to Study Brain-Immune Link

Corundum Neuroscience, a leading neuroscience venture builder and fund, today announced it has awarded a research grant for a project led by Professor Asya Rolls at the Department of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University. The initiative will explore the role of specific brain regions in immune regulation by systematically mapping areas activated during different inflammatory states. Using viral tracing techniques, the study will examine how these regions interact within a broader regulatory network and lay the groundwork for identifying potential neuromodulation targets to treat autoimmune and inflammatory conditions.

The study aims to identify novel non-invasive therapeutic pathways for autoimmune and inflammatory disorders, including gut inflammation and inflammatory skin conditions. The brain activity data may ultimately offer insights that could be relevant to a broader range of autoimmune and inflammatory disorders, such as Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and type 1 diabetes. Data from the specific brain activity patterns will also be used to develop new diagnostic tools for these conditions.

"The brain-body connection is a pivotal nexus of human health and well-being, influencing disease emergence and treatment response. However, this area has remained largely unexplored at the level of functional anatomy and our understanding of the underlying mechanisms is limited" said Asya Rolls, PhD, Professor of Neuroimmunology at the Department of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University.

"Building on existing research, we aim to identify brain regions specifically active during various inflammatory states and trace their interconnections to pinpoint central modulation hubs, paving the way for targeted interventions that can redefine our approach to treating inflammatory diseases."

The study will analyze and map brain areas active during different inflammatory states. Using advanced microscopy, researchers will visualize the entire brain and use colon inflammation and skin inflammation models to elicit an immune response which will then be traced to specific brain regions. The data will then be used to explore how similar patterns appear in humans by using data from large longitudinal studies, with the goal of ultimately identifying intervention targets.  

The project builds on previous research conducted by Prof. Rolls’ research group, which showed that the brain’s reward system, activated by positive expectations along with the placebo response, can enhance immunity. The group also discovered that the brain forms a memory-like representation of past inflammatory conditions that are stored in the insular cortex, suggesting that modulating the insula could provide a new treatment avenue for autoimmune conditions by reducing the severity of disease during flareups.

"The complex interplay of the brain and body in immunity has long been an area of interest at both scientific and clinical levels", said Josh Schulman, PhD, Chief Scientist for Corundum Neuroscience.

"By using a translational approach rooted in basic science, this study is designed to provide the basis for new targets in treating and optimizing immunity. We are excited to support this endeavor."

Caroline Haïat