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SPP 1029: The role of microglia cells in central nervous system disorders (1997 – 2003)

Spokesperson:

Professor Dr. Helmut Kettenmann
Max-Delbrück-Centrum für Molekulare Medizin (MDC)
Robert-Rössle-Straße 10
13125 Berlin
Phone: +49 30 94063325
E-Mail: kettenmann@mdc-berlin.de
 
Disorders of the central nervous system such as Alzheimer's disease or stroke become increasingly important with respect to population structure in our modern Western society. The understanding of the basic molecular and cellular mechanisms of pathological processes in the central nervous system thus became a prominent target in neuroscience research. Microglia activation after damage or injury of the central nervous system is a universal reaction pattern, regardless the type of neurodegeneration. Microglial cells are of hematogenic origin and invade the CNS. They influence the process of degeneration by interacting with other glial cells, neurons but also invading blood cells. The molecular basis of the activation process and the interactions of microglia with other cells is a very young field of research, from which new concepts may arise to understand the pathogenesis of CNS diseases, both for early diagnosis, and for therapy. This topic requires an interdisciplinary approach, since it embraces basic research on the level of molecule as well as clinical research. This field of research rapidly developed within the last years which is documented by the increase in publications from this field.

Meetings of the SPP 1029:

Reports on the SPP 1029

Projects of the SPP 1029:
  • Antigen presentation by microglia after experimental axonal degeneration in vivo (project leader Bechmann, Ingo) Project description in German
  • Characterization of resident endoneuronal macrophages in vivi in comparison with microglia und perivascular cells in the brain (project leader Kiefer, Reinhard) Project description in German
  • The impact of microglia complement biosynthesis and regulation of the complement activation in neurodegeneration (project leader Weihe, Eberhard) Project description in German
  • The retina as a model for ramified microglia cells: establishing an organotypic culture and influencing the territorial behaviour of microglia (project leaderin Schnitzer-Ungefug, Jutta) Project description in German
  • The role of lentivirally infected microglial cells in the pathogenesis of AIDS-encephalopathies (project leader Dörries, Rüdiger) Project description in German
  • Electrophysiological studies on the effect of cytokines released by microglia and macrophages on neuronal cells (project leader Bähr, Matthias) Project description in German
  • Expression and function of CDI molecules during immune response of the brain (project leader Regnier-Vigouroux, Anne) Project description in German
  • Expression and function of chemokine receptors in microglia - fractalkine (Cx3C-chemokine) receptor modified gene transcription (project leader Gebicke-Härter, Peter Joachim) Project description in German
  • Functional effects of the phagocytosis of apoptotic lymphocytes by microglia on microglia immune function and gene activation (project leader Gold, Ralf) Project description in German
  • Coordination of the SPP 1029 "The role of microglia cells in central nervous system disorders" (project leader Kettenmann, Helmut) Project description in German
  • Molecular differentiation of microglia and macrophages in CNS autoimmity: inflammation versus demyelinisation (project leader Jander, Sebastian) Project description in German
  • Molecular mechanisms for microglia activation (project leader Raivich, Gennadi) Project description in German
  • New ligands to picture activated microglia in vivo and clinical use of the positron emission tomography (PET) (project leader Banati, Richard) Project description in German
  • Neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease: the pathogenic role of microglia (project leader Fassbender, Klaus) Project description in German
  • Physiological and functional properties of ramified microglia in situ and changes of these properties during activation after experimental lesion (project leader Kettenmann, Helmut) Project description in German
  • Different types of microglia reaction in somatic gene therapy in the central nervous system (project leader Weller, Michael) Project description in German
  • Regulation of immune cell migration by microglia-endothelial cell interaction (project leader Rieckmann, Peter) Project description in German
  • Regulation and function of microglia cells in murine toxoplasma encephalitis (project leaderin Deckert, Martina) Project description in German
  • Signal transduction pathways of activated and deactivated microglia cells in the retina (project leader Thanos, Solon) Project description in German
  • Investigating the function of microglia cells and peripheral macrophages in the central and peripheral nervous system: functional implications for genetically caused demyelination (project leader Martini, Rudolf) Project description in German
  • Studies on the structural and functional plasticity of the 20S/26S-proteasom and associated regulatory complexes in microglia cells in the mouse (project leader Stohwasser, Ralf) Project description in German
  • Studies on the control of the activation state of microglia cells: intrinsic modulation by astrocytes - extrinsic deactivation by immunesuppressive drugs  (project leader Hailer, Nils) Project description in German