Nerve regeneration and myelin diseases in the peripheral and central nervous system
Electrical insulation of nerve fibers by a multilamellar myelin sheath is a prerequisite for rapid impulse propagation. Myelin is formed by oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells in the central (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS). Acquired or inherited inability to maintain myelination is the cause of common neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis in the CNS and demyelinating neuropathies in the PNS - serious diseases with no known cure.
Using transgenic techniques in mice, a range of state-of-the-art behavioral and electrophysiological methods, high-resolution microscopy, and next-generation sequencing approaches, we aim to unravel pathological mechanisms that will help identify therapeutic targets for these life-threatening diseases.
