Current Research Projects

Project Leader Project Title
Aguzzi Investigating the neuroimmunology of Alzheimer`s and prion diseases in a humanized mouse model
Characterisation of the prion strains present in Swiss Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease patients
Heikenwälder Dissection of mechanisms in the development of chronic hepatitis induced hepatocellular carcinoma
Molecular dissection of hepatocellular carcinogenesis in mice with chronic hepatitis, a mouse model of hepatitis associated human hepatocellular carcinoma
Kana Detection of ordered protein aggregates using luminescent conjugated polymers
Neumann Functional consequences of mutations in the TARDBP gene associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Sponarova Investigation of the role of innate and acquired immune mechanisms in generation or natural clearance of AA amyloid

Completed Research Projects

Project Leader Project Title
Aguzzi Genetic isolation of key prion protein interactors by phenotype suppression screens in Drosophila
Diagnostic, Prognostic, and Therapeutically Relevant Prion Co-Factors: An Approach Based on Functional Genomics
C5 Function of the cellular prion protein PrPC, and of its homologue, Dpl
Functional genomics approach to identify general molecular pathogenetic mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative disorders
An integrated immunological and cellular strategy for sensitive TSE diagnosis and strain discrimination
Investigation of the role of the cysteine protease inhibitor Cystatin F in neurodegenerative diseases and assessment of its use as a predictive marker for patient screening in body fluids
Understanding peripheral prion pathogenesis
Characterization of prion strains present in Swiss Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease victims
Application of the Transient Scrapie Cell Assay (TraSCA) for in vitro detection of ovine and bovine prions
Germinal center B cells are dispensable in prion transport and neuroinvasion
Prion strain discrimination using luminscent conjugated polymers
Assessment of candidate secreted surrogate biomarkers for early diagnosis of prion disease in farm animals
Application of the transient Scrapie cell assay (TRASCA) for in vitro detection of ovine and bovine prions
Strains, Species and Immunology in Prion Diseases
Efficient prion transmission via the intranasal and aerosolic route
Analysis of the physiological and pathological role of prion protein by proteomic approach in vivo
Arrighi Validation and characterization of novel interaction partners of PrPC and Doppel
Immunotherapeutic strategies against prion diseases
Arrighi Zabel Role of complement in prion pathogenesis
Baumann Correlation studies of the topology of PrP and brain damage
Baumann Pahnke Functional Analysis of PrP subdomains
Braun Elucidation of the physiological function of the prion protein
Bremer Physiological function of the prion protein in myelin maintenance
Brunner Braun Sensitive quantification of PrPSc using mass spectrometry
Brunner Seeger Discovery and quantification of TSE markers using mass spectrometry
Calella Analysis of the physiological and pathological role of prion protein by proteomic approach in vivo
Genoud Block of prion replication by a soluble dimeric form of PrP
Generation and functional analysis of mice lacking Dpl and PrP/Dpl
Glatzel Role of the peripheral nervous system in prion neuroinvasion
Human prion diseases in Switzerland: Investigation of clinical, genetic, histological and biochemical profiles
Heikenwälder Do chronic inflammations modulate prion pathogenesis?
Cellular recognition of host and pathogenic DNA: investigating TLR signalling pathways and receptors
Understanding human prions strains by humanizing the immune system of mice
Molecular and cellular dissection of hepatocellular carcinogenesis in mice with chronic hepatitis
Heikenwaelder Ectopic generation of FDCs to elucidate the function of B-cells and FDCs in peripheral prion pathogenesis
Does the relative distance between FDCs and hot spots of innervation determine neuroinvasion?
The role of functional germinal center B-cells in prion pathogenesis
Heppner Analysis of a SOD-like activity of the cellular prion protein in vivo
Induction of protective immune responses against prion diseases
The contribution of microglia to scrapie pathogenesis
Huber Contribution of Follicular Dendritic Cells to peripheral Prion Accumulation
Molecular Characterization of Follicular Dendritic Cells, a Key Player in Prion Pathogenesis
Maissen Rescue of Scrapie-infected Mouse Neuroblastoma (N2aSc) Cells
Miele Assessing the role of progenitor cells of the erythroid lineage in prion pathogenesis
Identification of genes differentially expressed in lymphoid organs during the preclinical phase of prion pathogenesis
Miele Genoud Identification of genes differentially expressed in testes of Prion protein and Doppel double knockout mice
Neumann TDP-43 as disease protein in FTLD-U and ALS: Transgenic models for TDP-43 proteinopathies and physiologic function of TDP-43 in the brain.
Nilsson Prion conformation probed by Conjugated Polyelectrolytes
Ott Engineering of dominant-negative mutant of prion protein for therapeutic and diagnostic applications
Pahnke Investigations of the involvment of CD8-lymphocytes in the propagation of cerebral prion replication
Polymenidou Development of a non-invasive blood-based prion diagnostic method: Investigation of PrPC and PrPSc plasma levels after peripheral administration of novel anti-PrP antibodies
Radovanovic Mutant PrPC and Prion Homologue Dpl Induced Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
Seeger Brunner Identification of Marker Proteins for Prion Disease in Urine
Seeger Maissen Identification of Interaction Partners of the Prion Protein Homologue Doppel
Sigurdson Investigations of Immunization Strategies against Chronic Wasting Disease in Deer and Elk
Mechanism of prion infectivity generation by genetics
Investigation of sheep scrapie transmission via milk from the inflamed mammary gland
Does gastrointestinal microflora influence prion disease susceptibility or kinetics?
Does the unique fixed loop in the elk prion protein alter TSE pathogenesis or susceptibility?
Zabel Using cell contact-mediated ablation of microglia to decipher their role in prion pathogenesis
Zeller Are Langerhans cells implicated in transport of PrpSC from periphery to lymphoid organs?
Ectopic Expression of Lymphotoxins in a non-lymphoid organ
Investigation of the role of microglia in Prion disease by cell specific ablation of microglia in vivo

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