The central nervous system consists of diverse cell types, such as neurons, microglia, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes that continuously interact with each other. Collaborative interactions are the prerequisite for normal brain function and their physiological state is tightly regulated. When these interactions are disturbed by endogenous (e.g., metabolic stress, degeneration) or exogenous (e.g., infection, injury, neurosensory alterations) stimuli, neuroinflammation arises. The inflammation of neural tissue triggers pathological network states, including synaptic dysfunction and alterations in membrane excitability, subsequently leading to the development of neurological or psychiatric symptoms. Thus, our research questions follow the hypothesis that neuroinflammation is a major pathological driver in a variety of diseases.

Our mission is the identification of novel therapeutic approaches targeting inflammation-induced dysfunction of synaptic transmission, plasticity, and membrane excitability.

We here address the role of neuro-immune interactions over short and long distances, including local pathologies within the CNS and brain-body-interactions. Particularly, we assess the role of glia cells – particularly microglia as the resident immune cells of the brain – in shaping the structural and functional features of other cell types in the brain. Glia are highly dynamic cells that interact with neurons through soluble factors and/or direct physical contact sites during both resting state and inflammatory conditions. Moreover, intrinsic pathways that mediate neuronal responsiveness to inflammation are at the core of our interest. The key fields of our research are:

1. Glia-Neuron-interactions and their role in maintaining synaptic health as well as mediating synaptic dysfunction during neuroinflammation of various origin.
2. Synaptic resources – critical for synaptic flexibility at long distances from the soma – as targets for neuroinflammation.
3. The interplay of cytokines, glia and neurons in transmitting peripheral changes to synapses.
4. The vicious circle of inflammation and degeneration.

In all our research projects, we develop in vitro research models (“Advanced Tissue Culture Models”) that avoid exploratory experiments in living animals (3R principle).

Research Focus Teams:

• Neuroinfection and Immunity: Dr. med. Amelie Eichler (Eichler.Amelie@mh-hannover.de)
• Neurodegeneration: Dr. med. Pia Kruse (Kruse.Pia@mh-hannover.de)
• Neural Stress: Dr. rer. nat. Fabian Gather (Gather.Fabian@mh-hannover.de)
• Peripheral Nerves: Prof. Dr. Kirsten Haastert-Talini (Haastert-Talini.Kirsten@mh-hannover.de) 

Collaborating Partners (in alphabetic order):

• Dr. Marijana Basic (Gnotobiology Facility, Institute for Laboratory Animal Science, MHH)
• Prof. Dr. Nataliya Di Donato (Department of Human Genetics, MHH)
• Prof. Dr. Lars Dölken (Institute of Virology, MHH)
• Prof. Dr. Gisa Gerold (Institute of Virology, Innsbruck)
• Prof. Dr. Ulrich Kalinke (Twincore)
• Prof. Dr. Joachim Krauss (Department of Neurosurgery, MHH)
• Prof. Dr. Aiden Haghikia (Department of Neurology with Clinical Neurophysiology, MHH)
• Prof. Dr. Florian Heidel (Department of Hematology, Hemostasis, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, MHH)
• Prof. Dr. Evgeni Ponimaskin (Institute of Neurophysiology, MHH)
• Prof. Dr. Franziska Richter Assencio (Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Pharmacy, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover)
• Prof. Dr. Giulia Ronchi (Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi, Turin)
• Prof. Dr. Axel Schambach (Institute of Experimental Hematology, MHH)
• Prof. Dr. Kerstin Schwabe (Department of Neurosurgery, MHH)
• Prof. Dr. Meike Stiesch (Department of Prosthetic Dentistry and Biomedical Materials Science, MHH)
• PD Dr. Bettina Wiegmann (Lower Saxony Center for Biomedical Engineering, Implant Research and Development, NIFE)

Experimental methods:

• Organotypic brain tissue cultures
• Single-cell whole-cell patch-clamp recordings
• High-resolution confocal microscopy, synaptic microarchitecture
• Electron Microscopy
• Cytokine profiling
• Single-nuclei sequencing
• Crispr/Cas genetic engineering

We believe in the unique innovative strength of collaborative research. For collaboration requests please contact Prof. Dr. Maximilian Lenz (neuroanatomie@mh-hannover.de).