We aim to understand how alterations in lipid metabolism contribute to neurodegeneration and how metabolic adaptations enable tissue repair and regeneration. We are particularly interested in metabolic communication between glial cells and neurons and in the role of lipid metabolism in the maintenance and regeneration of myelin. Ultimately, we seek to identify metabolic mechanisms that can be selectively targeted to promote neuroprotective and regenerative processes.
Publications
Kaji, S., Berghoff, S. A., Spieth, L., Schlaphoff, L., Sasmita, A. O., Vitale, S., Büschgens, L., Kedia, S., Zirngibl, M., Nazarenko, T., Damkou, A., Hosang, L., Depp, C., Kamp, F., Scholz, P., Ewers, D., Giera, M., Ischebeck, T., Wurst, W., Wefers, B., Schifferer, M., Willem, M., Nave, K.-A., Haass, C., Arzberger, T., Jäkel, S., Wirths, O., Saher, G. & Simons, M. Apolipoprotein E aggregation in microglia initiates Alzheimer's disease pathology by seeding β-amyloidosis. Immunity 57(11), 2651–2668.e12 (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2024.09.014
Depp, C., Sun, T., Sasmita, A. O., Spieth, L., Berghoff, S. A., Nazarenko, T., Overhoff, K., Steixner-Kumar, A. A., Subramanian, S., Arinrad, S., Ruhwedel, T., Möbius, W., Göbbels, S., Saher, G., Werner, H. B., Ehrenreich, H., Nave, K. A. & Stassart, R. M. Myelin dysfunction drives amyloid-β deposition in models of Alzheimer’s disease. Nature 618, 349–357 (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06120-6.
Berghoff, S. A., Spieth, L. & Saher, G. Local cholesterol metabolism orchestrates remyelination. Trends in Neurosciences 45(4), 272–283 (2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2022.01.001
Berghoff, S. A., Spieth, L., Sun, T., Hosang, L., Schlaphoff, L., Depp, C., Düking, T., Winchenbach, J., Neuber, J., Ewers, D., Scholz, P., van der Meer, F., Cantuti-Castelvetri, L., Sasmita, A. O., Meschkat, M., Ruhwedel, T., Möbius, W., Sankowski, R., Prinz, M., Huitinga, I., Sereda, M. W., Odoardi, F., Ischebeck, T., Simons, M., Stassart, R. M. & Nave, K. A. Neuronal cholesterol synthesis is essential for repair of chronically demyelinated lesions in mice. Cell Reports 37, 109889 (2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109889.
Berghoff, S. A., Spieth, L., Sun, T., Hosang, L., Schlaphoff, L., Depp, C., Düking, T., Winchenbach, J., Neuber, J., Ewers, D., Scholz, P., van der Meer, F., Cantuti-Castelvetri, L., Sasmita, A. O., Meschkat, M., Ruhwedel, T., Möbius, W., Sankowski, R., Prinz, M., Huitinga, I., Sereda, M. W., Odoardi, F., Ischebeck, T., Simons, M., Stadelmann-Nessler, C., Edgar, J. M., Nave, K.-A. & Saher, G. Microglia facilitate repair of demyelinated lesions via post-squalene sterol synthesis. Nature Neuroscience 24, 47–60 (2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41593-020-00757-6
Berghoff, S. A., Gerndt, N., Winchenbach, J., Stumpf, S. K., Hosang, L., Odoardi, F., Ruhwedel, T., Böhler, C., Barrette, B., Stassart, R., Liebetanz, D., Dibaj, P., Möbius, W., Edgar, J. M. & Saher, G. Dietary cholesterol promotes repair of demyelinated lesions in the adult brain. Nature Communications 8, 14241 (2017). DOI: 10.1038/ncomms14241
Team
- Simona Vitale (Ph.D. Studentin-München)
- Alan-Charles Dean (MD Student-München)
- Niklas Junker (Ph.D. Student-Leipzig)
Funding
- DFG- German Research Foundation; Alzheimer Forschung Initiative e.V. (AFI)
