Research Projects

The research area of this proposal is Life Science at the intersection of neuroscience, pharmacology and physiology. In the central nervous system (CNS), astrocytes are both numerous and complex. They contact most other cell types in the CNS, and the processes of a single astrocyte can envelop as many as 140,000 synapses. Thus, these cells are...

The incidence and prevalence of dementia is rising as the world-wide population ages. Determining biomarkers for the early detection of underlying biology that will predict dementia progression reliably or, the monitoring of biological processes once present to track progression and treatment is necessary. Furthermore, these biomarkers will aid in...

Amyloid diseases are of increasing concern in our aging society. These diseases all involve the aggregation of misfolded proteins, called amyloid, which are specific for each disease (PrP for Prion, Abeta for Alzheimer's). When misfolded these proteins propagate the abnormal configuration and aggregate to others, forming very long polymers also...

Neurodegenerative disorders are an increasing healthcare problem. Many of these diseases are characterized by aggregation of proteins, which leads to neuronal dysregulation and cell death. Neurofibrillary tangles, pathological aggregates of tau protein, are the characteristic neuropathological stigmata defining a group of disorders termed...

The objective of the application is the development and characterization of small molecule stabilizers of protein-protein interactions (“Molecular Glues”) as a novel class of biological tool compounds and potential therapeutic drugs for the treatment of cancer as well as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease, respectively. As biological targets we...

Despite impressive advances in almost every field of neuroscience, our insights into brain function remain largely confined to its building blocks at the microscopic level, and to phenomenological descriptions at the macroscopic level. Understanding how complex mental functions originate from electrical and chemical processes in brain cells...

Protein misfolding and aggregation into amyloid fibrils is a hallmark of serious diseases such as Alzheimer´s, Familial Amyloidotic Polyneuropathy (FAP) and atherosclerosis. Amyloid fibrils can also be biologically functional. Bacterial and fungal amyloids are proposed to form a prominent protein fold early in evolution. It is unclear why many...

The γ-secretase intramembrane protease complex plays a critical role in multiple cellular processes including Notch signaling and secretion of amyloid β peptides, the accumulation of which causes Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The enzymatic activity of γ-secretase is, therefore, a prime target for intervention in AD and is of major interest. Yet...

With life expectancy increasing rapidly in our Western world, Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a progressive neurodegenerative disorder resulting in dementia, is becoming more common, however no cures or effective treatments are currently available. The neurotoxic amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide appears central to AD pathogenesis, and is generated by β- and γ...

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia. The main hallmark of AD is presence of the extraneuronal senile plaques composed of amyloid beta-peptide (Aβ). Aβ is produced when a transmembrane glycoprotein called Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) is consecutively cleaved by two proteases: the γ-secretase and the β-secretase. γ...

Galanthamine is an alkaloid produced exclusively by plants of the family Amaryllidaceae, mainly belonging to the genus Galanthus, Leucojum and Narcissus. Owing to its acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity, galanthamine is used and marketed for the treatment of the Alzheimer’s disease, among others. Although it is obtained by organic synthesis...

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterised by a gradual cognitive decline, which initially affects learning and memory, and gradually impairs other cognitive functions. Despite considerable scientific effort, the cause and pathogenesis of AD is still unknown. Recent in vitro studies suggest that the destruction of synapses by soluble aggregates of...