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Long considered immune-privileged, rich interactions between the brain and the immune System (neuro-immune interactions) have been recently identified and shown to Play important roles in physiology and disease. In neurodegenerative diseases, in particular, the Impact of the immune system on disease pathogenesis and progression has recently come into Focus. Understanding the interactions between the CNS and the immune system is the basis for developing novel therapeutic strategies to tackle devastating neurological diseases like Alzheimer's disease (AD). A major Focus of our research is microglia, the brain's intrinsic macrophages, which Play important roles in CNS development, homeostasis and as first responders to pathological Events. Our work combines in vivo studies using transgenic mouse models with ex vivo experiments in cell and tissue culture that we ultimately strive to translate to the human condition through analyses of human tissue samples.