Faculty Research

Benjamin Segal, MD (bmsegal@umich.edu)
Holtom-Garrett Professor of Neurology
Director, U-M Multiple Sclerosis Center
Director, Holtom-Garrett Program in Neuroimmunology

Dr. Segal’s laboratory studies interactions between the immune and nervous systems in the context of autoimmune demyelinating disease. He is interested in the influence of the CNS microenvironment on the development of local inflammatory responses and, conversely, the influence of immune mediators on neuronal and glial survival and regeneration/ repair. One part of the laboratory is devoted to human immunological studies (involving the analysis of peripheral blood and cerebrospinal fluid mononuclear cells that are collected from patients with MS or other neurological diseases and healthy controls). Currently, the lab is investigating the relationship between the expression of selected cytokines (such as IL-23 and IL-17) and CNS inflammatory disease activity, as detected by advanced MRI techniques, in individuals with progressive multiple sclerosis. A complementary division of the laboratory is dedicated to animal studies. Ongoing projects aim to elucidate the mechanisms by which leukocyte subsets, chemokine and cytokines act together to induce demyelination and neuronal loss. Other studies address the effects of cytokines and chemokines on CNS progenitor cells and axonal regrowth pathways that could affect attempts to repair damaged CNS tissues. Further details can be found on the Neuroimmunology Research Program Web site.