The Section for Translational Neurodegeneration “Albrecht Kossel” of the Department of Neurology at the University Medical Center in Rostock was founded in 2019 and converges experts with long standing expertise in basic scientific work and clinical care for neurodegenerative diseases with a main focus on motoneuron diseases and frontotemporal dementia.
The section consists of several research groups, which investigate basic scientific questions regarding the development and pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases (e.g. amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Niemann-Pick type C, Wilson’s disease). Moreover, we work on clinical questions and modern concept of patient-centered care and the transfer of new findings from basic science into clinical practice.
We combine long standing traditions of neuroscientific research at the Rostock University Medical Center working on neurodegenerative diseases with up-to-date human stem cell-based cell systems. This mainly includes the use of patient-specific models and the development of individualized therapeutic strategies for neurodegenerative diseases.
This includes state of the art diagnostic tools (MRI, PET, electrophysiology, TMS, nerve and brain sonography) and methods which are needed for highly specialized care (e.g. artificial ventialtion, palliative care, eye gaze communication systems).
Main focus Hermann group:
Basic research: Understanding the pathophysiology of ALS by the use of iPSCs with main focus on the interplay between DNA damage response, aggregation formation and neurodegeneration
clinical research: patient-centered care in severely progressed ALS patients and palliative care with the use of eye-tracking devices.
Main focus Prudlo group:
Cognition in ALS. The Rostock DZNE research group “Cognition in ALS” aims to enhance the understanding of ALS as a systemic brain disorder beyond the motor system and provide biomarkers as a model with which to test hypotheses on disease pathogenesis in vivo. Understanding risk or resilience mechanisms in the extramotor cortical networks in ALS patients would help identify treatment options for dementia. Therefore, our principal activities concern clinical characterisation, neuropsychology, neuroimaging, genetics, and autopsy studies concentrating on the relationship between structural and functional changes.
Main focus Kamm group:
Genetics, genotype-phenotype correlations and molecular pathophysiology of rare neurogenetic diseases (e.g. HSP, SMA).
| Translational Neurodegeneration Section, “Albrecht Kossel”, Rostock | |
|---|---|
| Director | Prof. Dr. Dr. Andreas Hermann |
| Principal investigator | Prof. Dr. Dr. Andreas Hermann, Prof. Dr. Johannes Prudlo, PD Dr. Christoph Kamm |
| Contact information | |
|---|---|
| Address | Translational Neurodegeneration Section "Albrecht Kossel" |
| Contact | Prof. Dr. Dr. Andreas Hermann |
| Phone | +49 (0)381 494-9541 |
| Sektionsleiter.akos@med.uni-rostock.de | |
| Website | Visit the website |
Publications
- Naumann M, Pal A, Goswami A, Lojewski X, Japtok J, Vehlow A, Naujock M, Günther R, Jin M, Stanslowski N, Reinhardt P, Sterneckert J, Frickenhaus M, Pan-Montojo F, Storkebaum E, Poser I, Freischmidt A, Weishaupt JH, Holzmann K, Troost D, Ludolph AC, Boeckers TM, Liebau S, Petri S, Cordes N, Hyman A, Wegner F, Grill S, Weis J, Storch A, Hermann A. Impaired DNA damage response signaling by FUS-NLS mutations leads to neurodegeneration and aggregation formation. Nature Communications (2018), 9:335. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-02299-1
- Naumann M, Peikert K, Günther R, van der Kooi AJ, Aronica E, Hübers A, Danel V, Corcia P, Pan-Montojo F, Cirak S, Haliloglu G, Ludolph AC, Goswami A, Andersen PM, Prudlo J, Wegner F, Van Damme P, Weishaupt JH, Hermann A. Phenotypes and malignancy risk of different FUS mutations in genetic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Ann Clin Transl Neurol. 2019 Nov 4. doi: 10.1002/acn3.50930
- Prudlo J, König J, Schuster C, Kasper E, Büttner A, Teipel S, Neumann M. TDP-43 pathology and cognition in ALS: A prospective clinicopathologic correlation study. Neurology. 2016 Sep 6;87(10):1019-23
- Linse K, Rüger W, Joos M, Schmitz-Peiffer H, Storch A, Hermann A. Eyetracking-based assessment suggests preserved wellbeing in locked-in patients. Ann Neurol. 2017 Feb;81(2):310-315
- Ludolph AC, Schuster J, Dorst J, Dupuis L, Dreyhaupt J, Weishaupt JH, Kassubek J, Weiland U, Petri S, Meyer T, Grosskreutz J, Schrank B, Boentert M, Emmer A, Hermann A, Zeller D, Prudlo J, Winkler AS, Grehl T, Heneka MT, Wollebæk Johannesen S, Göricke B; RAS-ALS Study Group. Safety and efficacy of rasagiline as an add-on therapy to riluzole in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a randomised, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled, phase 2 trial. Lancet Neurol. 2018 Aug;17(8):681-688. doi: 10.1016/S1474-4422(18)30176-5
For other publications, see: https://albrecht-kossel-institut.med.uni-rostock.de/publikationen
Restricted information
| Patient resources | |
|---|---|
| Population based register | No |
| Clinic based register | No |
| Geographically matched controls | No |
| Number of skin samples | >100 fibroblast lines |
| Number of brain samples | >70 |
| Number of IPS cell samples | >90 |
Banks
There are no banks for this centre
| Research activities | |
|---|---|
| Clinical management research | Yes |
| Neuro epidemiology | No |
| Neuro physiology | Yes |
| Neuro imaging | Yes |
| Neuro psychology | Yes |
| Neuro pathology | Yes |
| Genomics | No |
| Transcriptomics | Yes |
| Metabolomics | Yes |
Clinical Trials - Industry sponsored
| Name | Type | Patients |
|---|---|---|
| REFALS-ES: Effects of oral levosimendan (ODM-109) on respiratory function in patients with ALS | RCT, Phase II | |
| REFALS: Effects of oral levosimendan (ODM-109) on respiratory function in patients with ALS | RCT, Phase II |
Clinical Trials - Investigator initiated
| Name | Type | Patients |
|---|---|---|
| Efficacy, safety and tolerability of high lipid supplementation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Short title: LIPCAL-ALS Trial) | RCT, Phase II | |
| Efficacy, safety and tolerability study of 1 mg Rasagiline in patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) receiving standard therapy (Riluzole) (Short title: RAS-ALS Trial) | RCT, Phase II | |
| Efficacy, safety and tolerability study of 45 mg Pioglitazone in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) receiving standard therapy (Riluzole) (GERP-ALS) | RCT, Phase II |