Translational Neurogenetics (AG Brenner)

 
Research

The scientific focus of the Brenner group is on the genetics of motor neuron diseases and other neurodegenerative diseases, particularly ataxias and Lafora disease. Our goal is to elucidate the disease-relevant mechanisms of genetic neurodegenerative diseases in order to ultimately improve their diagnosis and treatment. To this end, we investigate the molecular consequences of disease-associated gene alterations in patient tissue and in disease models. Our current projects focus on the ALS genes NEK1 and TBK1, Friedreich's ataxia, and Lafora disease.

 

https://brennerlab.de/

Group members
Profilbild von PD Dr. med David Brenner

PD Dr. med David Brenner

Oberarzt

Kontakt

Oberarzt / Senior Attending Neurologist
Neurologische Klinik
Universitäts- und Rehabilitationskliniken Ulm (RKU)
Oberer Eselsberg 45
89081 Ulm

Telefon: +49 (0) 731 177 0
E-Mail: david.brenner@uni.ulm.de

 
Funding & Publications

Our research is/was funded by:

  • Fritz Thyssen-Stiftung
  • Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung
  • Heinz und Heide Dürr Stiftung
  • Bruno und Ilse Frick-Stiftung
  • Deutsche Gesellschaft für Muskelkranke e.V. (DGM)
  • Steffke C, Baskar K, Bachhuber F, Wiesenfarth M, Dorst J, Schuster J, Schöberl F, Reilich P, Regensburger M, German A, Günther R, Vidovic M, Petri S, Meyer T, Hagenacker T, Grosskreutz J, Weyen U, Weydt P, Haarmeier T, Lingor P, Wolf J, Hermann A, Prudlo J, Günther K, Knehr A, Elmas Z, Uzelac Z, Witzel S, Ruf WP, Freischmidt A, Ho R, Ludolph AC, Weishaupt JH, Tumani H, Oeckl P, Brenner* D, Catanese* A. Targeted Proteomics upon Treatment with Tofersen Identifies Novel Response Markers for Superoxide Dismutase 1-Linked Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Ann Neurol. 2025 Aug 9. doi: 10.1002/ana.70025. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40781905. *Shared senior-authorship and co-corresponding
  • Brenner D, Sieverding K, Srinidhi J, Zellner S, Secker C, Yilmaz R, Dyckow J, Amr S, Ponomarenko A, Tunaboylu E, Douahem Y, Schlag JS, Rodríguez Martínez L, Kislinger G, Niemann C, Nalbach K, Ruf WP, Uhl J, Hollenbeck J, Schirmer L, Catanese A, Lobsiger CS, Danzer KM, Yilmazer-Hanke D, Münch C, Koch P, Freischmidt A, Fetting M, Behrends C, Parlato R, Weishaupt JH. A TBK1 variant causes autophagolysosomal and motoneuron pathology without neuroinflammation in mice. J Exp Med. 2024 May 6;221(5):e20221190. doi: 10.1084/jem.20221190. Epub 2024 Mar 22. PMID: 38517332; PMCID: PMC10959724.
  • Sieverding K, Ulmer J, Bruno C, Satoh T, Tsao W, Freischmidt A, Akira S, Wong PC, Ludolph AC, Danzer KM, Lobsiger CS, Brenner* D, Weishaupt* JH. Hemizygous deletion of Tbk1 worsens neuromuscular junction pathology in TDP-43G298S transgenic mice. Exp Neurol. 2021 Jan;335:113496. doi: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2020.113496. Epub 2020 Oct 8. PMID: 33038415. *Shared senior-authorship
  • Bruno C, Sieverding K, Freischmidt A, Satoh T, Walther P, Mayer B, Ludolph AC, Akira S, Yilmazer-Hanke D, Danzer KM, Lobsiger CS, Brenner* D, Weishaupt* JH. Haploinsufficiency of TANK-binding kinase 1 prepones age-associated neuroinflammatory changes without causing motor neuron degeneration in aged mice. Brain Commun. 2020 Aug 21;2(2):fcaa133. doi: 10.1093/braincomms/fcaa133. PMID: 33005894; PMCID: PMC7519725. *Shared senior-authorship
  • Brenner D, Sieverding K, Bruno C, Lüningschrör P, Buck E, Mungwa S, Fischer L, Brockmann SJ, Ulmer J, Bliederhäuser C, Philibert CE, Satoh T, Akira S, Boillée S, Mayer B, Sendtner M, Ludolph AC, Danzer KM, Lobsiger CS, Freischmidt A, Weishaupt JH. Heterozygous Tbk1 loss has opposing effects in early and late stages of ALS in mice. J Exp Med. 2019 Feb 4;216(2):267-278. doi: 10.1084/jem.20180729. Epub 2019 Jan 11. PMID: 30635357; PMCID: PMC6363427.
  • Brenner D, Baumgartner T, von Spiczak S, Lewerenz J, Weis R, Grimmer A, Gaspirova P, Wurster CD, Kunz WS, Wagner J, Minassian BA, Elger CE, Ludolph AC, Biskup S, Döcker D. Genotypes and phenotypes of patients with Lafora disease living in Germany. Neurol Res Pract. 2019;1:34. doi: 10.1186/s42466-019-0040-2. Epub 2019 Nov 12. PMID: 32587944; PMCID: PMC7316188.
  • Brenner D, Yilmaz R, Müller K, Grehl T, Petri S, Meyer T, Grosskreutz J, Weydt P, Ruf W, Neuwirth C, Weber M, Pinto S, Claeys KG, Schrank B, Jordan B, Knehr A, Günther K, Hübers A, Zeller D, Kubisch C, Jablonka S, Sendtner M, Klopstock T, de Carvalho M, Sperfeld A, Borck G, Volk AE, Dorst J, Weis J, Otto M, Schuster J, Del Tredici K, Braak H, Danzer KM, Freischmidt A, Meitinger T, Strom TM, Ludolph AC, Andersen PM, Weishaupt JH; German ALS network MND-NET. Hot-spot KIF5A mutations cause familial ALS. Brain. 2018 Mar 1;141(3):688-697. doi: 10.1093/brain/awx370. PMID: 29342275; PMCID: PMC5837483.
  • Brenner D, Müller K, Wieland T, Weydt P, Böhm S, Lulé D, Hübers A, Neuwirth C, Weber M, Borck G, Wahlqvist M, Danzer KM, Volk AE, Meitinger T, Strom TM, Otto M, Kassubek J, Ludolph AC, Andersen PM, Weishaupt JH. NEK1 mutations in familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Brain. 2016 May;139(Pt 5):e28. doi: 10.1093/brain/aww033. Epub 2016 Mar 5. PMID: 26945885.
  • Gao* L, Brenner* D, Llorens-Bobadilla E, Saiz-Castro G, Frank T, Wieghofer P, Hill O, Thiemann M, Karray S, Prinz M, Weishaupt JH, Martin-Villalba A. Infiltration of circulating myeloid cells through CD95L contributes to neurodegeneration in mice. J Exp Med. 2015 Apr 6;212(4):469-80. doi: 10.1084/jem.20132423. Epub 2015 Mar 16. PMID: 25779632; PMCID: PMC4387281. *Shared first-authorship

Contact

Telefon 0731 177 5379

Fax 0731 177 1285

E-Maildavid.brenner@uni-ulm.de

PD Dr. med. David Brenner

Oberarzt / Senior Attending Neurologist
Neurologische Klinik
Universitäts- und Rehabilitationskliniken Ulm (RKU)
Oberer Eselsberg 45
89081 Ulm