ImmunoMIND
Identifying new immune and metabolic targets for novel therapies for severe mental illnesses.
About ImmunoMIND
The ImmunoMIND Hub is investigating how changes in the immune system and certain metabolic factors could cause severe mental illnesses (SMI).
ImmunoMIND is based in Cambridge and led by Professor Ed Bullmore.
Research
The team combine knowledge from an international network of scientists with the expertise of people with lived experience (PWLE) to better understand the connection between physical and mental health.
The metabolic system provides energy and maintains the body, while the immune system helps the body fight infections. Researchers think these systems could be key in understanding SMI. The Hub uses genetic data by looking at existing studies with people with SMI. The researchers study the genetic information from certain cells and molecules which are part of the immune and metabolic systems already known to be important in SMI. By studying these cells and molecules, they hope to find new potential treatments for SMI, which can be studied in more detail as the research progresses.
The team also look at the immune cells from blood donated by patients with psychosis who are starting treatment with anti-psychotic drugs. This will help the researchers to better understand how the body responds to these treatments. In the future, the team hope to use this information to identify who is most likely to respond to certain treatments.
How do people with lived experience work with the Hub?
Beyond looking at medications, the team want to understand which lifestyle changes are most likely to be effective and accessible for people with SMI. So, they are working in partnership on projects with PWLE to find which interventions are most likely to be effective. For example, a gameplay project is investigating the impact this intervention could have for people with SMI, specifically for those experiencing early psychosis.
The ImmunoMIND Hub wants to develop research which leads to new and precise treatments for SMI, specifically targeting the immune or metabolic systems. In the future, this research could lead to a more personalised approach to SMI, a priority for PWLE. This could mean one day using blood tests, brain scans and other biomarkers to identify who will benefit from certain lifestyle adjustments or new or repurposed medications.
Hear from Hub Leader
In this video from 2024, Ed tells us how ImmunoMIND brings together international scientists and people with lived experience and why we need to think differently about SMI. He explains how the hub will use information including genetics to inform future treatments, as well as finding ways to help people living with SMI now.