Investigations

The Z01 Bioimaging and Tissue Analysis Platform supports various CRC projects by analyzing human tissue samples and using state-of-the-art correlative light and electron microscopy techniques to study CNS recovery at a detailed level. During the first funding period, Z01 contributed to understanding key aspects of CNS recovery, such as axon damage, inflammation’s role in tissue healing, and how certain cells help repair nerve fibers. In the next funding phase, our focus will be on two main goals: ...

In autoantibody-mediated gliopathies, such as Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder, pathology often spreads quickly beyond the intital target cell type to affect other glial cells. In this project, we will identify glial-glia interactions that act either as checkpoints of acute pathology spread or as checkpoints of lesion repair. To achieve this, we will use in vivo imaging in animal models, as well as genetic interventions and close correlation with human neuropathology, to study how the ...

The cerebral cortex contains a special, perineuronally localized population of oligodendrocyte lineage cells with possible functions in connectivity and myelination. We hypothesize that this cell population serves as a reservoir of remyelinating cells after myelin damage. We will apply spatial transcriptome analysis with subcellular resolution in experimental models of demyelination and human tissue from patients with multiple sclerosis to define physiological and pathological states of perineuronal ...