D-CYPHR collaboration with PANS PANDAS UK

D'Acquisto, F. (Advisor)

Activity: Public engagement and outreach › Media Article or Participation

Description

D-CYPHR (the DNA, Children + Young People’s Health Resource) want to get more families involved in health research that could help improve our understanding and develop new treatments for many conditions, including immune diseases and mental health conditions.

We have collaborated with PANS PANDAS UK to help spread the word about the charity and to improve awareness of the neuropsychiatric conditions PANS and PANDAS.

Since D-CYPHR launched last year, many families have been in touch to share their experiences of living with PANS and PANDAS and to ask questions about research opportunities. These conditions are currently under-researched and awareness from medical professionals is low.

Period	9 Oct 2024
Held at	NIHR, United Kingdom

Documents & Links

How can PANS and PANDAS UK and D-CYPHR work together? Two focus areas of D-CYPHR are mental health and immune conditions, and these are relevant to PANS and PANDAS. D-CYPHR is not a PANS or PANDAS research study, but with more people signing up for D-CYPHR and providing samples, we can delve further into finding out about immune conditions and mental health. We are open to support all kinds of research, PANS and PANDAS researchers are welcome to apply for our help with their studies.  Fulvio D'Acquisto – Researcher Fulvio D'Acquisto is a Professor of Immunology at the University of Roehampton, London. His current research focuses on the immune system as gateway for mental and physical wellbeing, having begun working on T Cells and autoimmunity in his postdoctoral research at Yale, then working on Immunopharmacology at Queen Mary University of London, and exploring the connections between the immune system and mood. He commented: “We are in an incredibly exciting time for immune research. The field is rapidly advancing, with new technologies allowing us to probe deeper into immune function at molecular and cellular levels. One of the most promising developments on the horizon is the potential for combined therapies that target both the brain and the immune system - addressing both the physical and emotional aspects of disorders. These integrated approaches might provide benefits beyond our current expectations, offering more comprehensive and effective treatments for complex conditions like PANS/PANDAS.” As a researcher Professor D'Acquisto is an advocate for research that combines mental and physical health, such as the D-CYPHR programme. He explained: “Studying mental and physical health together is critical because they are deeply interconnected, as evidenced by conditions like PANS/PANDAS. My research has consistently shown that immune function can influence behavior and mental states. For example, our work on T cells in immunocompromised mice demonstrated their role in regulating genes associated with anxiety. By studying these connections, we can develop more holistic approaches to understanding and treating complex disorders that affect both mind and body.”