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                                                    3. Simons Lab

                                                    Mikael Simons – Biology of Glia and Neuro­inflammation

                                                    • Glia are essential for the function of the nervous system. We study how glial cells contribute to brain function and how their dysfunction leads to diseases. Our research ranges from functions of glia during nervous system development and maintenance to their role in aging, neurodegenerative and inflammatory diseases. One focus is on myelin, an insulating membrane sheath produced by oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system. Destruction of myelin leads is a pathological hallmark of multiple sclerosis, but is also associated with several neurodegenerative disorders. Another focus is on the biology of microglia, and their functions in regenerative and degenerative processes. Our lab combines genetic, molecular, biochemical and advanced light and electron microscopy techniques to study how glia operate in health and disease.

                                                      The lab is part of the Institute of Neuronal Cell Biology, belongs to the TUM Faculty of Medicine, and is affiliated with the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases and the Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research. Our lab is located at the Center of Stroke and Dementia Research at Campus Grosshadern in Munich.

                                                      For more information:

                                                    • Key Publications

                                                      >All Publications

                                                      Safaiyan S*, Besson-Girard S*, Kaya T, Cantuti-Castelvetri L, Liu L, Ji H, Schifferer M, Gouna G, Usifo F, Kannaiyan N, Fitzner D, Xiang X, Rossner MJ, Brendel M, Gokce O, Simons M*. White matter aging drives microglial diversity. Neuron. 2021 Apr 7;109(7):1100-1117.e10. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.01.027. Epub 2021 Feb 18. 

                                                      Bosch-Queralt M, Cantuti-Castelvetri L, Damkou A, Schifferer M, Schlepckow K, Alexopoulos I, Lütjohann D, Klose C, Vaculčiaková L, Masuda T, Prinz M, Monroe KM, Di Paolo G, Lewcock JW, Haass C, Simons M. Diet-dependent regulation of TGFβ impairs reparative innate immune responses after demyelination. Nat Metab. 2021 Feb;3(2):211-227. doi: 10.1038/s42255-021-00341-7. Epub 2021 Feb 18. 

                                                      Cantuti-Castelvetri L*, Ojha R*, Pedro LD, Djannatian M*, Franz J, Kuivanen S, van der Meer F, Kallio K, Kaya T, Anastasina M, Smura T, Levanov L, Szirovicza L, Tobi A, Kallio-Kokko H, Österlund P, Joensuu M, Meunier FA, Butcher SJ, Winkler MS, Mollenhauer B, Helenius A, Gokce O, Teesalu T, Hepojoki J, Vapalahti O, Stadelmann C, Balistreri G*, Simons M. Neuropilin-1 facilitates SARS-CoV-2 cell entry and infectivity. Science. 2020 Nov 13;370(6518):856-860. doi: 10.1126/science.abd2985. Epub 2020 Oct 20. 

                                                      Mukherjee C*, Kling T*, Russo B, Miebach K, Kess E, Schifferer M, Pedro LD, Weikert U, Fard MK, Kannaiyan N, Rossner M, Aicher ML, Goebbels S, Nave KA, Krämer-Albers EM, Schneider A*, Simons M*. Oligodendrocytes Provide Antioxidant Defense Function for Neurons by Secreting Ferritin Heavy Chain. Cell Metab. 2020 Aug 4;32(2):259-272.e10. doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2020.05.019. Epub 2020 Jun 11. 

                                                      Cantuti-Castelvetri L*, Fitzner D*, Bosch-Queralt M, Weil MT, Su M, Sen P, Ruhwedel T, Mitkovski M, Trendelenburg G, Lütjohann D, Möbius W, Simons M. Defective cholesterol clearance limits remyelination in the aged central nervous system. Science. 2018 Feb 9;359(6376):684-688. doi: 10.1126/science.aan4183. Epub 2018 Jan 4. 

                                                      Fard MK, van der Meer F, Sánchez P, Cantuti-Castelvetri L, Mandad S, Jäkel S, Fornasiero EF, Schmitt S, Ehrlich M, Starost L, Kuhlmann T, Sergiou C, Schultz V, Wrzos C, Brück W, Urlaub H, Dimou L, Stadelmann C, Simons M. BCAS1 expression defines a population of early myelinating oligodendrocytes in multiple sclerosis lesions. Sci Transl Med. 2017 Dec 6;9(419):eaam7816. doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aam7816.

                                                      Fard MK, van der Meer F, Sánchez P, Cantuti-Castelvetri L, Mandad S, Jäkel S, Fornasiero EF, Schmitt S, Ehrlich M, Starost L, Kuhlmann T, Sergiou C, Schultz V, Wrzos C, Brück W, Urlaub H, Dimou L, Stadelmann C, Simons M. BCAS1 expression defines a population of early myelinating oligodendrocytes in multiple sclerosis lesions. Sci Transl Med. 2017 Dec 6;9(419):eaam7816. doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aam7816.

                                                      Safaiyan S, Kannaiyan N, Snaidero N, Brioschi S, Biber K, Yona S, Edinger AL, Jung S, Rossner MJ, Simons M. Age-related myelin degradation burdens the clearance function of microglia during aging. Nat Neurosci. 2016 Aug;19(8):995-8. doi: 10.1038/nn.4325. Epub 2016 Jun 13. 

                                                      Sharma K, Schmitt S, Bergner CG, Tyanova S, Kannaiyan N, Manrique-Hoyos N, Kongi K, Cantuti L, Hanisch UK, Philips MA, Rossner MJ, Mann M, Simons M. Cell type- and brain region-resolved mouse brain proteome. Nat Neurosci. 2015 Dec;18(12):1819-31. doi: 10.1038/nn.4160. Epub 2015 Nov 2. 

                                                      Snaidero N, Möbius W, Czopka T, Hekking LH, Mathisen C, Verkleij D, Goebbels S, Edgar J, Merkler D, Lyons DA, Nave KA, Simons M. Myelin membrane wrapping of CNS axons by PI(3,4,5)P3-dependent polarized growth at the inner tongue. Cell. 2014 Jan 16;156(1-2):277-90. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2013.11.044. 

                                                      Trajkovic K, Hsu C, Chiantia S, Rajendran L, Wenzel D, Wieland F, Schwille P, Brügger B, Simons M. Ceramide triggers budding of exosome vesicles into multivesicular endosomes. Science. 2008 Feb 29;319(5867):1244-7. doi: 10.1126/science.1153124. 

                                                    • Prof. Dr. med. Mikael Simons, Group leader

                                                      Jana Salovic, Assistant

                                                      Dr. Stefan Berghoff, PostDoc

                                                      Dr. Ludovico Cantuti-Castelvetri, PostDoc

                                                      Dr. med. Minou Djannatian, PostDoc

                                                      Dr. Seiji Kaji, PostDoc

                                                      Dr. med Johanna Knoeferle, PostDoc

                                                      Alkmini Damkou, PhD student

                                                      Liliana Pedro Domingues, PhD student

                                                      Garyfallia Gouna, PhD student

                                                      Tugberk Kaya, PhD student

                                                      Shreeya Kedia, PhD student

                                                      Swathi Radha, PhD student

                                                      Lennart Schlaphoff, PhD student

                                                      Vini Tiwari, PhD student

                                                      Martin Zirngibl, PhD student

                                                      Jianping Wu, PhD student

                                                      Agata Rhomberg, Technician

                                                      Tommaso Di Genio, Master student

                                                      Simona Vitale, Master student

                                                      Cansu Üstüner, Master student

                                                    • Mikael Simons

                                                      Mikael Simons

                                                      Professor of Molecular Neuroscience

                                                      Institute of Neuronal Cell Biology (TUM-NCB)

                                                      Technical University Munich

                                                      
German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)

                                                      Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research (ISD)

                                                      Feodor-Lynen-Straße 17

                                                      81377 Munich, Germany

                                                      Telefon: +49-(0)89 440046495

                                                      Email:
 mikael.simons@dzne.de; 
m.simons@tum.de



                                                      Scientific vita

                                                      2016 – present: W3- Professorship and Director, Institute of Neuronal Cell Biology, TU Munich, Germany

                                                      2020 – present: Head of Clinical Research & Clinical Trial Unit Munich at the German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Munich (DZNE/Munich)

                                                      2016 – present: Group leader at the German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Munich (DZNE/Munich)

                                                      2022 – present: Group leader at the Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research (ISD)

                                                      Since 2004: Board Certificate in Neurology, Department of Neurology, University of Tübingen


                                                      Coordinating Functions

                                                      2016 – present: Member of the Medical Faculty of the TU Munich

                                                      2016 – present: Board member, Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy)

                                                      2016 – present: Speaker of the Collaborative Research Centre (TRR 274)

                                                      2018 – present: Member of the Graduate School of Systems Neuroscience

                                                      2020 – present: Member of the steering board of Clinical Research at the TUM (KKF)

                                                      2016 – present: Co-head of the electron microscopy hub of SyNergy

                                                      2020 – present: Co-head of the single genomics hub of the Collaborative Research Center 274

                                                    Prof. Dr. Mikael Simons
                                                    Tel: +49-89-4400-46495
                                                    mikael.simons@dzne.de; m.simons@tum.de

                                                    Simons Lab

                                                    Contact

                                                    Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research (ISD)
                                                    University Hospital, LMU Munich

                                                    Director: Prof. Dr. med. Martin Dichgans

                                                    Feodor-Lynen-Straße 17
                                                    81377 Munich, Germany

                                                    Phone: +49 (0)89 4400 46019
                                                    www.isd-research.de
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                                                    Neurologische Klinik und Poliklinik der Universität München

                                                    DZNE – Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen

                                                    SyNergy – Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology

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