Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy)

💭 Our PhD & Postdoc reps initiated visits to our Technology Hubs for our researchers and kicked off with the first on-site visit to our Single-Cell and Spatial Transcriptome Hubs last week. 🔬 Eighteen SyNergy scientists gathered at the Biomedical Center (BMC) LMU Munich and the Center for Stroke and Dementia Research for an exclusive on-site visit to the Single-Cell and Spatial Transcriptome Hubs. The visit included presentations of the hubs and their technical portfolios, a guided tour of the facilities, and a communal lunch, which provided an opportunity to discuss future projects. 👋 Thanks to Arek Kendirli, Janos Groh, Clara de la Rosa del Val, and Simon Frerich for hosting the first event of the series!

👋 Meet our PhD and Postdoc Representatives 💭 The representatives are the voice of PhD students and Postdocs within SyNergy. They are a point of contact for feedback, questions, criticism and improvements - bringing it to the attention of the board. They also gather and organize extracurricular activities. Meet Angelika Dannert, PhD, Clara de la Rosa del Val, Lis de Weerd and Nathalie Beaufort. 🔗 Read more about their activities on our website: https://lnkd.in/dKtzshqr

🔦 Research Spotlight 🧠 The Amyloid Cascade model of #Alzheimersdisease suggests that plaques of amyloid-β (Aβ) are the primary cause of the disease and trigger other pathological changes, such as the spread of abnormal tau protein. The exact connection between amyloid and tau buildup is not clear. A team of researchers led by Dr. Nicolai Franzmeier now found an essential piece to this puzzle: by analyzing PET and MRI imaging, they show that amyloid drives the spread of tau by evoking neuronal hyperconnectivity. 👥 Robert Perneczky, Martin Dichgans, Günter Höglinger, Prof. Dr. Dr. Matthias Brendel and Sarah Jäkel. 🔗 More insights on our website: https://lnkd.in/dFU4pCDr LMU Klinikum München, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München #alzheimers #MRI #PET 

🧑🔬 👩🔬 "Jugend forscht" alumni can now apply for an internship in one of our labs. More information below 👇

🎧 In the latest episode of Exzellent Erklärt, Larissa Vassilian chats with our speaker, Thomas Misgeld, and member Anna-Sophia Wahl, MD PhD, about their research and latest findings. Topics include research into common neurological diseases such as #Alzheimer's, #multiplesclerosis, and #stroke, current advances in repair mechanisms, the importance of neuronal plasticity, the use of modern technologies such as AI, and the interdisciplinary approach of our cluster. 🔗 Tune into the podcast (it's in German) by clicking here! Enjoy! https://lnkd.in/dxNxGMsB #exzellenterklaert #wisskomm #sciencecomm #forschung #researchingermany #wissenschaftspodcast #wissenschaft #exc #exzellenzcluster #spitzenforschung #podcast #neurowissenschaften

🔦 Research Spotlight - 🫀Despite the success of lipid-lowering therapies and other measures to reduce the complications of atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease continues to be the leading cause of death globally. Genome-wide association studies have identified that common genetic variants in the cis-regulatory element (CRE) at histone deacetylase (HDAC)9 are a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. A research team led by Martin Dichgans, therefore, investigated how HDAC9 contributes to vascular inflammation. They identified a mechanism by which HDAC9 regulates the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome and have developed a targeted anti-inflammatory approach for treating atherosclerosis. Arthur Liesz, Christian Weber, Wolfgang Wurst,and Jürgen Bernhagen 🔗 More insights on our website: https://lnkd.in/dNKkrPFt LMU Klinikum München, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München #atherosclerosis #cardiovasculardisease

👨🔬 We are happy to welcome Marios Georgakis to our Early Excellence Academy! Marios leads a research group focused on developing next-generation therapeutics and diagnostics for cardiovascular disease at LMU Munich. 💡 His lab utilizes large-scale, multi-dimensional data from epidemiological studies and human biobanks, including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and imaging. They apply bioinformatic tools to develop precise and personalized preventive strategies, focusing specifically on atherosclerosis, which is one of the most common causes of cardiovascular disease and stroke. 🔗 Find out more on our website: https://lnkd.in/dEu-pFG8 Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, LMU Klinikum München

🧠 A really nice overview of our member Ali Maximilian Ertürk breakthrough research with WildDISCO👇 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dZ9n6tj2

We now introduce SCP-Nano just out in Nature Biotechnology👇🏼 LNP/mRNA therapeutics and AAV-based approaches require cell-level precision to achieve success without significant toxicity to other cells. To enable this, we developed SCP-Nano: an AI and tissue-clearing-based technology for precision nanotechnology. https://lnkd.in/d8jScpKe 💡 What is SCP-Nano? SCP-Nano (Single Cell Precision Nanocarrier Identification) is an innovative pipeline that maps and quantifies the biodistribution of fluorescence-labeled nanocarriers across the entire mouse body. With single-cell resolution and unmatched sensitivity, it provides crucial insights to accelerate therapeutic advancements. 🔬 Key Innovations: 1️⃣ Optimized DISCO tissue clearing for nanocarrier imaging at clinical doses. 2️⃣ Advanced deep-learning algorithms for reliable detection and quantification of millions of targeted cells. 3️⃣ Integration with molecular tools like proteomics and spatial transcriptomics for comprehensive analysis. 🌟 Applications Include: •Uncovering organ-specific LNP targeting heterogeneity to optimize routes and doses. •Detecting off-target effects and assessing molecular impacts for safe clinical translation. •Mapping biodistribution of DNA origami and AAVs, revealing new insights into targeting tropisms. Our technology bridges the gap left by traditional histology and whole-body imaging method like PET, MRI, and bioluminescence, enabling quantitative and unbiased evaluations at a level of precision never seen before. 📄 Read our paper in Nature Biotechnology: https://lnkd.in/d8jScpKe 📂 Access the open-source code: https://lnkd.in/dMEpdNJ5 A big thank you to the brilliant team and collaborators from @HelmholtzMunich, @LMU_Muenchen, @ISD_Research, and our supporters at @SyNergy_Cluster, @ERC_Research, and others for making this possible. Let’s drive the future of nanocarrier-based therapeutics forward! 🚀 #AI #Nanomedicine #Biotechnology #PrecisionMedicine #Innovation

Will we all get Alzheimer’s at some point? 🧠 Christian Haass is Head of the Chair of Metabolic Biochemistry at LMU and spokesperson of the Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy). He has been researching Alzheimer's disease for more than 35 years. In the video, the #LMU professor talks about drugs that slow down the progression of the disease and new approaches in research. #Alzheimers #AlzheimersResearch #LMUMunich #SyNergy