Bedeutung funktioneller Domänen von Ataxin-3 beim Transport und Abbau fehlgefalteter Proteine

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Ullrich Wüllner
• Subject Area: Molecular Biology and Physiology of Neurons and Glial Cells
• Term: from 2007 to 2012
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 48410914

The immune system is involved in Alzheimer (AD) and Parkinson disease (PD) by the development of a prominent neuroinflammation and a specific activation of the immune system leads to reduced pathogenesis in mouse models for both diseases. Additionally our laboratory has shown recently that human regulatory T cells (Treg) increase in number with age and are more active in AD and PD patients. These changes in Treg support the hypothesis that the course of either disease may be influenced by autoimmune mechanisms, which could be influenced by Treg function. To validate this hypothesis and to elucidate which immune cells contribute to immunotherapeutic approaches, we have generated several mouse lines in mouse models for AD and PD related pathologies, which are deficient for either Treg or immune cells affected by Treg. Analyzing these mouse lines under normal and immune therapeutic conditions with biochemical and neuropathological methods will identify immune cell types involved in progression or prevention of disease related pathology. Additionally, the treatment of immune deficient mouse lines may reveal further immunotherapeutic effector mechanisms usually masked by more dominant mechanisms, which may be used for the development of new therapeutic strategies.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Participating Person: Privatdozent Dr. Peter Breuer