Effects of the microbiota on the induction of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

• Grant number: 25/28707-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2026
• End date: December 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Immunology - Cellular Immunology
• Principal Investigator: Leandro Pires Araujo
• Grantee: Naiara Coronetti de Paiva
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 25/01409-7 - TYPE 3 INNATE LYMPHOID CELLS AT THE INTERFACE OF THE IMMUNE SYSTEM AND NERVOUS SYSTEM, AP.JP

Abstract

The microbiota plays a fundamental role in homeostasis and in the host immune response. Thus, the intestinal mucosa contains several types of innate and adaptive immune cells, which play an essential role in discriminating between commensal and pathogenic organisms. Recently, the essential role of the microbiota in the gut-brain axis has been demonstrated, particularly in the modulation of homeostatic functions and inflammation of the central nervous system. Within this complex context, the immune response to the microbiota represents an important factor in host protection and homeostasis. In this project, we will use a strategy of bacterial community depletion through antibiotic treatment, followed by colonization of animals with specific bacteria, to study the development of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). (AU)