Detail

Keywords

Nerve Regeneration; Schwann Cells; Silk

Research group(s)

• ARGE Radtke
  Research Area: cell based therapies and spider silk conduits for peripheral nerve regeneration
  Members:
  Aida Naghilou
  Maximilian Haertinger
  Tamara Weiss
  Sarah Isabella Stadlmayr
  Paul Supper

Research interests

Schwann cells possess a remarkable plasticity and are able to conduct a plethora of functions with emerging importance in tissue regeneration and neoplastic diseases. My overall research goal is to uncover the molecular mechanisms driving the versatile behavior of human Schwann cells during nerve regeneration as well as benign and malign tumor development for therapeutic exploitation.

Techniques, methods & infrastructure

• culture of primary cells of neuronal and glial origin, particularly human Schwann cells
• confocal imaging
• proteome & transcriptome expression analyses
• quantitative antibody-based read-out techniques
• co-culture experimental set-ups
• ex vivo and in vitro models of nerve regeneration
• phagocytosis / efferocytosis assays

Selected publications

1. Weiss T*, Taschner-Mandl S*, Janker L, Bileck A, Rifatbegovic F, Kromp F, Sorger H, Kauer MO, Frech C, Windhager R, Gerner C, Ambros PF, Ambros IM. Schwann cell plasticity regulates neuroblastic tumor cell differentiation via epidermal growth factor-like protein 8. Nat Commun. 2021 Mar 12;12(1):1624. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33712610/
2. Millesi F*, Weiss T*, Mann A, Haertinger M, Semmler L, Supper P, Pils D, Naghilou A, Radtke C. Defining the regenerative effects of native spider silk fibers on primary Schwann cells, sensory neurons, and nerve-associated fibroblasts. FASEB J. 2021 Feb;35(2):e21196. http://dx.doi.org/10.1096/fj.202001447r
3. Direder M*, Weiss T, Copic D, Vorstandlechner V, Laggner M, Pfisterer K, Mildner CS, Klas K, Bormann D, Haslik W, Radtke C, Farlik M, Shaw L, Golabi B, Tschachler E, Hoetzenecker K, Ankersmit HJ, Mildner M. Schwann cells contribute to keloid formation. Matrix Biol. 2022 Apr;108:55-76. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35278628/
4. Berner J*, Weiss T*, Sorger H, Rifatbegovic F, Kauer M, Windhager R, Dohnal A, Ambros PF, Ambros IM, Boztug K, Steinberger P, Taschner-Mandl S. Human repair-related Schwann cells adopt functions of antigen-presenting cells in vitro. Glia. 2022 Dec;70(12):2361-2377. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36054432/
5. Weiss T*, Taschner-Mandl S*, Bileck A, Slany A, Kromp F, Rifatbegovic F, Frech C, Windhager R, Kitzinger H, Tzou CH, Ambros PF, Gerner C, Ambros IM. Proteomics and transcriptomics of peripheral nerve tissue and cells unravel new aspects of the human Schwann cell repair phenotype. Glia. 2016 Dec;64(12):2133-2153. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/glia.23045