Blood Brain Barrier in FNAIT

While anti-HPA-1a antibodies target the fetal platelets in fetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (FNAIT), the most severe cases are complicated by intracranial hemorrhages (ICH). It has been reported that that some of the anti-HPA-1a antibodies may potentially also bind to a fetal alloantigen variant expressed on endothelial cells and thus cause fetal brain endothelial damage.

In this project we investigate the effect of anti-HPA-1a antibodies in an in vitro blood brain barrier model. By use of cell lines and primary cells from a preclinical FNAIT model, we aim to measure the integrety of the endothelial cell layers.

The PhD candidate on this project is Lennart Maximilian van Ligtenberg
Supervisor: Tor Brynjar Stuge
Co-supervisor: Maria Therese Ahlen

UiT The Arctic University of Norway