Ph.D. Theses

Dendrites are highly branched extensions of nerve cells, along which signals are received and propagated to the cell body. The correct morphology of dendrites is essential for the function of the nervous system. [...]

Excessive neutrophil activation is a feature of many inflammatory diseases. Neutrophils from affected patients are prone to release reactive oxygen species (ROS) and toxic granule proteins or to undergo NETosis, a special form of cell death characterized by the release of extracellular DNA traps (NETs). [...]

Aging and Alzheimer' s disease (AD) are two highly intertwined pathological processes. Indeed, one of the highest risk factors for developing AD is age. [...]

Clinical and experimental evidences suggest that the spreading of tau protein throughout the brain may underlie the stereotypical progression of pathology in the brains of Alzheimer disease (AD) patients and concomitant cognitive decline. Although previous studies showed that tau protein can be released, and taken up by cells, several open questions regarding the spreading of tau pathology still exist. [...]

In synucleinopathies such as Parkinson's disease misfolding of a-synuclein, normally a cellular and soluble protein, leads to the accumulation of insoluble protein aggregates and to central nervous system disease (CNS). Misfolded a-synuclein acts as a seed, by recruiting native a-synuclein and inducing its misfolding into insoluble a-synuclein aggregates. [...]

CD4+ T cells play a critical role in host defense and tissue homeostasis. Upon encountering their specific antigen, naive CD4+ T cells can differentiate into the effector T helper (TH) subsets THl, TH2, TH9, THl 7 and regulatory T cells (Treg), which fulfill various functions. [...]

The locus coeruleus (LC) is positioned in the brainstem and one of the main sources of norepinephrine in the brain. With its projections throughout the whole brain, the LC plays an important role in regulating the general level of arousal and in motivation. [...]

One of the most prominent hallmarks of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is the accumulation of amyloid-beta (Aß) species, which have the Lendency to form extracellular insoluble Aß plaques and induce reactive astrogliosis in surrounding astrocytes. We have previously shown that periplaque reactive astrocytes become hyperactive in mouse models of AD (APP /PSl and APPPSl-21), and that one key signalling pathway for this hyperactivity is mediated by purinergic signalling. [...]

Olfactory input encodes essential information about the environment and shapes adapted behavioral reactions. Hence, the olfactory system is complex with diverse brain areas processing the sensory input on different levels. [...]

Strake is a debilitating disease resulting in neuronal lass, axonal degeneration, and sensorimotor deficits. The brain has a limited intrinsic capacity for axonal regeneration after strake, however, thispost-injury compensatory regeneration cannot compensate for the lesion-induced lass of established connections, especially since the growth-inhibitory environment of the peri-stroke region poses afurther hindrance towards regeneration. [...]