Neurodegeneration

In the field of neurodegeneration we work both on basic scientific aspects regarding the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases and for some of these diseases also on the development of new treatment modalities.

Our current focus is Huntington’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.

Our current research projects:

  • Huntington’s Disease
    Studies on the function and structure of Huntingtin. Huntingtin is the protein involved in Huntington’s disease
  • Alzheimer’s Disease
    Development of antibody-based treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

 

  1. Seefelder M, Klein FAC, Landwehrmeyer B, Fernández-Busnadiego R, Kochanek S.
    Huntingtin and Its Partner Huntingtin-Associated Protein 40: Structural and Functional Considerations in Health and Disease.
    J Huntingtons Dis 2022; 11(3): 227-242; 

  2. Huang B, Seefelder M, Buck E, Engler T, Lindenberg KS, Klein F, Landwehrmeyer GB, Kochanek S. 2021. HAP40 protein levels are huntingtin-dependent and decrease in Huntington disease. Neurobiol Dis., doi: 10.1016/j.nbd.2021.105476. PMID: 34390835

  3. Seefelder M, Kochanek S. 2021. A meta-analysis of transcriptomic profiles of Huntington’s disease patients. PloS One 16, e0253037. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0253037

  4. Huang B, Guo Q, Niedermeier ML, Cheng J, Engler T, Maurer M, Pautsch A, Baumeister W, Stengel F, Kochanek S, Fernández-Busnadiego R. 2021. Pathological polyQ expansion does not alter the conformation of the Huntingtin-HAP40 complex. Struct. Lond. Engl. 1993 S0969-2126(21)00119–2. doi.org/10.1016/j.str.2021.04.003

  5. Seefelder M, Alva V, Huang B, Engler T, Baumeister W, Guo Q, Fernández-Busnadiego R, Lupas AN, Kochanek S. 2020. The evolution of the huntingtin-associated protein 40 (HAP40) in conjunction with huntingtin. BMC Evol. Biol. 20, 162. doi.org/10.1186/s12862-020-01705-5

  6. Guo Q, Huang B, Cheng J, Seefelder M, Engler T, Pfeifer G, Oeckl P, Otto M, Moser F, Maurer M, Pautsch A, Baumeister W, Fernández-Busnadiego R, Kochanek S. 2018.The cryo-electron microscopy structure of huntingtin.Nature. 555:117-120.
     
  7. Huang B, Lucas T, Kueppers C, Dong X, Krause M, Bepperling A, Buchner J, Voshol H, Weiss A, Gerrits B, Kochanek S. 2015. Scalable production in human cells and biochemical characterization of full-length normal and mutant huntingtin. PLoS One 10:e0121055.
     
  8. Dong X, Zong S, Witting A, Lindenberg KS, Kochanek S, Huang B. 2012. Adenovirus vector-based in vitro neuronal cell model for Huntington's disease with human disease-like differential aggregation and degeneration. J Gene Med 14:468-481.
     
  9. Huang B, Schiefer J, Sass C, Landwehrmeyer GB, Kosinski CM, Kochanek S. 2007. High-capacity adenoviral vector-mediated reduction of huntingtin aggregate load in vitro and in vivo. Hum Gene Ther 18:303-311.
     
  10. Huang B, Kochanek S. 2005. Adenovirus-mediated silencing of huntingtin expression by shRNA. Hum Gene Ther 16:618-626.