Microglia and macrophages in the nervous system constantly scan and monitor their environment, including neighboring neurons, axons, synapses, and other glial cells. Through this vigilant function, microglia and macrophages detect and respond to any pathological changes. This response is primarily necessary and helpful to restore normal cell and tissue function, but can also lead to further damage, especially in the spatially restricted central nervous system.
In our research group, we aim to understand how to stimulate a beneficial microglial and macrophage response that supports damage repair and tissue repair in the context of neurodegenerative diseases.
Currently, we are investigating the typology and function of interactions between microglia and motor neurons in Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and their impact on the establishment of a proper sensory-motor circuit in the spinal cord, as well as the role of macrophages in neural development.
Schäffner E, Bosch-Queralt M, Edgar JM, Lehning M, Strauß J, Fleischer N, Kungl T, Wieghofer P, Berghoff SA, Reinert T, Krueger M, Morawski M, Möbius W, Barrantes-Freer A, Stieler J, Sun T, Saher G, Schwab MH, Wrede C, Frosch M, Prinz M, Reich DS, Flügel A, Stadelmann C, Fledrich R, Nave KA & Stassart RM. Myelin insulation as a risk factor for axonal degeneration in autoimmune demyelinating disease. Nat Neurosci 26, 1218–1228 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-023-01366-9
Bosch-Queralt M, Fledrich R, Stassart RM. Schwann cell functions in peripheral nerve development and repair. Neurobiology of Disease, 2023, doi: 10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105952
Bosch-Queralt M, Tiwari V, Damkou A, Vaculčiaková L, Alexopoulos I, Simons M. A fluorescence microscopy-based protocol for volumetric measurement of lysolecithin lesion-associated de- and re-myelination in mouse brain. STAR Protoc. 2022 Jan 29;3(1):101141. doi: 10.1016/j.xpro.2022.101141
Bosch-Queralt M, Cantuti-Castelvetri L, Damkou A, Schifferer M, Schlepckow K, Alexopoulos I, Lütjohann D, Klose C, Vaculčiaková L, Masuda T, Prinz M, Monroe KM, Di Paolo G, Lewcock JW, Haass C, Simons M. Diet-dependent regulation of TGFβ impairs reparative innate immune responses after demyelination, Nature Metabolism, 2021, doi: 10.1038/s42255-021-00341-7
Gouna G, Klose C, Bosch-Queralt M, Gokce O, Schifferer M, Cantuti-Castelvetri L*, and Simons M*. TREM2-dependent lipid droplet biogenesis in phagocytes is required for remyelination in the central nervous system, Journal for Experimental Medicine, 2021, doi: 10.1084/jem.20210227
Cantuti-Castelvetri L*, Fitzner D*, Bosch-Queralt M, Weil MT, Su M, Sen P, Ruhwedel T, Mitkovski M, Trendelenburg G, Lütjohann D, Möbius W, Simons M. Defective cholesterol clearance limits remyelination in the aged central nervous system. Science, 2018, doi: 10.1126/science.aan4183.
Team
- Birte Kummer (MD Student)
- Johanna Kraft (MD Student
- )
- Lydia Rosenstiel (MD Student)
- Julia Hellriegel (Bachelor Student)
- Cassandra Schmidt (WHK)
- Anne Kullek (MD Student)
- Jana Schmidt (MD Student)
- Katharina Haidacher (MD Student)
Funding
