Unveiling the effects of insufficient sleep on neuroinflammation and autoimmunity

Insufficient sleep negatively affects our mood and general alertness, yet the cumulative long-term effects of it on our health remain unknown.

Nonetheless, recent studies have shown that disrupted sleep drives a myeloid-biased hematopoiesis that contributes to exacerbated inflammatory bursts, and loss of clonal diversity.

However, the mechanisms underlying sleep fragmentation remain poorly understood, especially regarding its consequences in innate and adaptive immune responses.

In this project, we aim to understand how sleep disruption shapes the immune landscape of peripheral draining lymph nodes and how this in turn affects/accelerates autoimmune disorders.

For that, we will take advantage of the immune system and flow cytometry knowledge acquired during my Ph.D. education and combine it with immunological/neurosurgical state-of-the-art tools developed at the Swirski lab in Mount Sinai.

In year 1, we will investigate the impact of sleep on the lymphatic drainage of cerebrospinal fluid to the periphery and on the meninges using mouse models of fragmented sleep.

In year 2, we will determine the contribution of meningeal lymphatics to sleep fragmentation-induced cervical lymphadenopathy.

Lastly, in year 3, we will investigate the effect of insufficient sleep on autoimmunity development using lupus as a model.

These results will shed light on the link between sleep disruption and disease, ultimately leading to therapeutic approaches that can directly improve all our lives.