Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery
Position: Research Associate (Postdoc)
ORCID: 0000-0001-7046-3412
T +43 1 40400 39243
tamara.weiss@meduniwien.ac.at
Keywords
Nerve Regeneration; Schwann Cells
Research group(s)
- ARGE Radtke
Research Area: cell based therapies and spider silk conduits for peripheral nerve regeneration
Members:
Research interests
Schwann cells possess remarkable plasticity and are capable of performing a wide range of functions that are increasingly recognized as critical in tissue regeneration and neoplastic disease. My overarching research goal is to elucidate the molecular mechanisms that govern the versatile behavior of human Schwann cells during nerve regeneration, as well as in benign and malignant 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
Grants
- How tumor cells could rescue Schwann cells from chronic denervation-induced senescence (2024)
Source of Funding: FWF (Austrian Science Fund), stand alone
Principal Investigator - Du bist was du isst? - How the eating behavior of Schwann cells could improve the regeneration of injured human nerves (2022)
Source of Funding: City of Vienna, Hochschuljubiläumsfonds der Stadt Wien
Principal Investigator
Selected publications
- 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/
- 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
- 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/
- 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/
- 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