Research Group
In-vivo-NMR Head: Prof. Dr. Mathias Hoehn
Regeneration of cerebral lesions
Our research interest focuses on regeneration of cerebral lesions, in particular stroke. We pursue the goal of regeneration through implantation of embryonic stem cells and thereby explore their therapeutic potential. The following aspects are in the center of our attention:
- A better understanding of the MRI based characterization of ischemic brain lesion in its chronic development, as a basis for a therapeutic evaluation of treatment with stem cells.
- In this context we investigate inflammatory macrophage activity after stroke
- To assess therapeutic success, we establish and validate parameters for outcome improvement: on the one hand, therapy based progress is assessed with behavior tests. On the other hand, using fMRI we unravel mechanisms by distinguishing between recovery of originally damaged tissue areas and plastic reorganization.
Methods
Methodologically, our investigations rely heavily on in vivo MRI data, complemented by optical imaging, and invasive histological and immunohistochemical staining techniques. Physiological and electrophysiological monitoring are an integral part of our protocols. An increasing number of studies includes molecular biological techniques: transgenic cells are generated with modified functions or cells are generated which produce their own reporters for in vivo imaging, both MRI and optical imaging.
Research topics in detail:
fMRI investigations after cerebral lesions
Monitoring of stem cell dynamics
- In vivo description of functional cell status
- Functional brain activation after stroke
- New therapy strategies in neurooncology
Publication
European Journal of Neuroscience (2011). Vol 34(3), 382-393.
"Spatio-temporal dynamics, differentiation and viability of
human neural stem cells after implantation into neonatal
rat brain"
Therese Kallur, Tracy D. Farr, Philipp Böhm-Sturm, Zaal Kokaia and Mathias Hoehn
ESMI Poster Award 2011
With his poster on "Effect of anesthesia on functional connectivity networks of the rat brain" Daniel Kalthoff convinced the ESMI-Jury and got one of ten awards assigned to outstanding junior researchers. Nearly 200 posters were presented at the EMIM conference.
