Detail

Keywords

Autoimmune Diseases of the Nervous System; Inflammation; Microglia; Nervous System Autoimmune Disease, Experimental; Neuroimmunology; Neuromyelitis Optica

Research interests

We are interested in the initiation, progression and resolution of inflammatory lesions of the central nervous system, and study these processes in models of two important human diseases, i.e. neuromyelitis optica and multiple sclerosis.

Techniques, methods & infrastructure

We routinely establish cultures of CNS antigen-specific T cells, microglia, astrocytes, brain endothelial cells, oligodendrocytes and choroid plexus epithelium. Other tools and methods available include experimental models for multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica, immunological test procedures to identify and quantify cytokine production and antigen-reactivity of T lymphocytes, immunohistochemical analysis, gene expression studies using real-time PCR, pathway focused or whole genome microarrays on fresh and archival (paraformaldehyde-fixed, paraffin embedded) material, and the identification of mimotopes binding to pathogenic autoantibodies.

Selected publications

1. Kitic M, Hochmeister S, Wimmer I, Bauer J, Misu T, Mader S, Reindl M, Fujihara K, Lassmann H, Bradl M (2013) Intrastriatal injection of interleukin-1 beta triggers the formation of neuromyelitis optica-like lesions in NMO-IgG seropositive rats Acta Neuropathologica Communications, 1(1) : 5
2. Pohl M, Kawakami N, Kitic M, Bauer J, Martins R, Fischer MT, Machado-Santos J, Mader S, Ellwart JW, Misu T, Fujihara K, Wekerle H, Reindl M, Lassmann H, Bradl M (2013) T cell-activation in neuromyelitis optica lesions plays a role in their formation Acta Neuropathologica Communications, : 1(1):85
3. Pohl M, Fischer MT, Mader S, Schanda K, Kitic M, Sharma R, Wimmer I, Misu T, Fujihara K, Reindl M, Lassmann H, Bradl M. (2011) Pathogenic T cell responses against aquaporin 4 Acta Neuropathol, 122(1): 21-34
4. Bradl M, Misu T, Takahashi T, Watanabe M, Mader S, Reindl M, Adzemovic M, Bauer J, Berger T, Fujihara K, Itoyama Y, Lassmann H. (2009) Neuromyelitis optica: Pathogenicity of patient immunoglobulin in vivo Ann Neurol, 66(5): 630-643
5. Zeka, B. et al., 2015. Highly encephalitogenic aquaporin 4-specific T cells and NMO-IgG jointly orchestrate lesion location and tissue damage in the CNS. Acta Neuropathol, 130(6), pp.783-798. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00401-015-1501-5.