Molecular therapy development

PD Dr. med. Matthias Höllerhage

Microscopy images of healthy control cells (top row), diseased alpha-synuclein overexpressing cells (middle row) and alpha-synuclein overexpressing cells treated with a protective substance (bottom row) after immunocytochemical staining. Blue: cell nuclei, green: alpha-synuclein, red: β-III-tubulin as marker for nerve cell processes.

In the working group, we deal with cell models of Parkinson's disease. The focus is on the investigation of disease processes that are involved in the development of Parkinson's syndromes and the development of new therapeutic approaches that intervene in these disease processes.

The aggregation of a small protein called alpha-synuclein is an essential pathophysiological step in the development of this disease. In addition to Parkinson's disease, there are also other neurodegenerative diseases in which Parkinson's syndrome occurs clinically. These include multisystem atrophy, a disease in which there is also aggregation of alpha-synuclein, but in nerve cells and glial cells. In progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), aggregates of a protein called tau occur in nerve cells and glial cells. This is also referred to as synucleinopathies or tauopathies. On the way from individual proteins to larger aggregates, oligomeric intermediate forms are formed, which are harmful to the nerve cells and glial cells and lead to their destruction.

While current therapies for Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative movement disorders are purely symptomatic and can neither halt nor slow down the disease process, we are interested in exploring therapeutic approaches to protect cells from destruction by aggregated alpha-synuclein or tau.

 

Focus areas:

  • Establishment of cell models for Parkinson's syndromes
  • Investigation of pathophysiological relationships in cell culture
  • Carrying out high-throughput studies to identify new therapeutic approaches

 

Collaborators:

  • Dr. Diana Fernandes Lazaro (PostDoc)
  • Valentin Evsykov (PostDoc)
  • Linghan Duan (PhD candidate)
  • Wing-Ho "Oscar" Chua (PhD candidate)
  • Sabine Lang (Technical Assistant)

 

 

Contact:

PD Dr. med. Matthias Höllerhage

Senior Physician

Clinical Department of Neurology with Clinical Neuropyhsiology

Hannover Medical School

Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1

30625 Hanover

0511-532-3670

E-mail: hoellerhage.matthias@mh-hannover.de

 

Publications: