Fat cells help repair damaged nervesDamage to peripheral nerves in the body can cause pain and movement disorders. Scientists at Leipzig University Medical Centre have recently investigated how damaged nerves can regenerate more effectively. They found that fatty tissue greatly supports the Schwann cells needed for repair during the healing process. The results have been published in the renowned journal Cell Metabolism.
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Multiple sclerosis: Myelin can threaten the survival of nerve fibresMultiple sclerosis (MS) affects millions of people worldwide, and to date there is no cure for this disease of the central nervous system. Damage to nerve fibres, also known as axons, is responsible for the severity of the disease in patients and the progression of MS. The protective layer of the axons, called myelin, plays a key role in this process. Researchers at the University of Leipzig and the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences in Göttingen have now discovered that myelin, previously considered protective, can actually threaten the survival of axons. The findings have been published in the renowned journal Nature Neuroscience and open up a new perspective for future research approaches and therapeutic options for the disease.
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If your hands and feet are numbAround 3.5 to 5.5 million people in Germany are affected by peripheral nerve disorders, known as polyneuropathies. Patients suffer from symptoms such as numbness or abnormal sensations in their hands and feet, as well as slowly progressive muscle weakness, which can lead to walking difficulties. Although polyneuropathies are among the most common neurological diseases, diagnosis and treatment are often unsatisfactory. A consortium of researchers from Münster, Essen, Heidelberg and the University of Leipzig wants to change this and investigate the disease mechanisms using the latest techniques.
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Dr Ruth Stassart receives ERC Starting Grant and is awarded funding of almost €1.5 millionDiseases of the nervous system impair the ability to move, lead to paralysis and, in severe cases, are fatal. Dr Ruth Stassart from Leipzig University Hospital is investigating the complex mechanisms underlying neuromuscular diseases such as peripheral neuropathies, which affect many people with a frequency of 1:1500 but are currently difficult to treat. The European Research Council has confirmed the scientific relevance of her research and is supporting the senior physician at Leipzig University Hospital with an ERC Starting Grant. With a value of almost 1.5 million euros, this research award is one of the most prestigious European science grants. With the help of the ERC Starting Grant from 2021 to 2026, the research profile area ‘Diseases of the Brain and Mind’ at the Faculty of Medicine will be strengthened.
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Neuroscientists demonstrate the cellular diversity of our nerves for the first time.
A research group led by Dr Ruth Stassart and Dr Robert Fledrich used state-of-the-art single-cell diagnostics to demonstrate for the first time how extensive the molecular cell repertoire of our nerves is and how it changes in the event of an immunological disease. The study was conducted jointly by the Universities of Münster and Leipzig.
