Welcome to the

Neuroimmunological Laboratory!

Our Neuroimmunology Laboratory (NIL) was founded in 2004 by Prof. Tjalf Ziemssen, MD. Since then, it has grown steadily and is now led by Prof. Katja Akgün, MD.

Our main research interests are neuroimmunological diseases with a special focus on multiple sclerosis disease. In recent years, many new insights into this disease have been gained, but many questions and aspects of this disease remain unanswered.

In numerous studies we analyze mechanisms of multiple sclerosis development, but also possibilities how immunomodulatory therapy can influence the disease and how response can be assessed by biomarkers.

Our goal is to identify the optimal treatment for each individual patient. To assess various cellular and immunological properties, we use numerous experimental procedures and methods. Our spectrum includes cell culture, FACS analyses, ELISA, cell sorting, cell mechanics and HD1 analyzing.

To Neurofilament light chain analysis ...

Our Team

Lead: Prof. Dr. med. Katja Akgün

Staff members:
Undine Proschmann
Christina Woopen
Martin Nötzel
Puya Shlachi Amirkhiz
Michaela Marggraf
Nicole Heubner
Stefanie Bodach
Andrea Brandis
Robin Blakowski

Doctoral students:
Wencke Lara Gräßner, Henriette Dodte, Ludwig Kamusella, Christoph Walter, Marie Dunsche, Felix Holzwarth, Lutz Lauber, Magdalena Müller-Enz, Oliver Heinzmann, Alexander Große, Georges Rahbani, Anna Alex, Celina Engel

Contact

Neuroimmunologisches Labor
at the Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus Dresden
Fiedlerstraße 34
01307 Dresden

eMail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Telefon: 0351-458-18575
Fax: 0351-458- 7341

Publications

  • Cortisol awakening response is linked to disease course and progression in multiple sclerosis. Kern S, Krause I, Horntrich A, Thomas K, Aderhold J, Ziemssen T. PLoS One. 2013 Apr 16;8(4):e60647.
  • 6-sulfo LacNAc+ dendritic cells accumulate in various inflammatory, but not ischemic conditions of the central nervous system. Thomas K, Metz I, Tumani H, Brück W, Ziemssen T. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol. 2016 Feb 4. Neuroborreliosis during natalizumab treatment in multiple sclerosis. Thomas K, Schultheiss T, Ziemssen T. Neurology. 2013 Sep 10; 81(11):1012-4.
  • Accumulation and therapeutic modulation of 6-sulfo LacNAc+ dendritic cells in multiple sclerosis. Thomas K, Dietze K, Wehner R, Metz I, Tumani H, Schultheiß T, Günther C, Schäkel K, Reichmann H, Brück W, Schmitz M, Ziemssen T. Neurol Neuroimmunol Neuroinflamm. 2014 Sep 18;1(3):e33.
  • Acute effects of alemtuzumab infusion in patients with active relapsing-remitting MS. Thomas K, Eisele J, Rodriguez-Leal FA, Hainke U, Ziemssen T. Neurol Neuroimmunol Neuroinflamm 2016;3:e228.
  • New insights into pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of natalizumab treatment for patients with multiple sclerosis, obtained from clinical an in vitro studies. Sehr T, Proschmann U, Thomas K, Marggraf M, Straube E, Reichmann H, Chan A, Ziemssen T. J Neuroinflammation, 2016 Jun 27;13(1):164.
  • Fingolimod additionally acts as immunomodulator focused on the innate immune system beyond its prominent effects on lymphocyte recirculation. Thomas K, Sehr T, Proschmann U, Rodriguez-Leal FA, Haase R, Ziemssen T. J Neuroinflammation. 2017 Feb 23;14(1):41.
  • Natalizumab during pregnancy and lactation. Proschmann U, Thomas K, Thiel S, Hellwig K, Ziemssen T. Mult Scler. 2018 Oct;24(12):1627-1634.
  • Safety and in vivo immune assessment of escalating doses of oral laquinimod in patients with RRMS. Ziemssen T, Tumani H, Sehr T, Thomas K, Paul F, Richter N, Samara E, Spiegelstein O, Sorani E, Bar-Ilan O, Mimrod D, Hayardeny L. J Neuroinflammation. 2017 Aug 31;14(1):172.
  • Engrafting human regulatory T cells with a flexible modular chimeric antigen receptor technology. Koristka S, Kegler A, Bergmann R, Arndt C, Feldmann A, Albert S, Cartellieri M, Ehninger A, Ehninger G, Middeke JM, Bornhäuser M, Schmitz M, Pietzsch J, Akgün K, Ziemssen T, Steinbach J, Bachmann MP. J Autoimmun. 2018 Jun;90:116-131.
  • Real World Lab Data: Patterns of Lymphocyte Counts in Fingolimod Treated Patients. Kaufmann M, Haase R, Proschmann U, Ziemssen T, Akgün K. Front Immunol. 2018 Nov 20;9:2669.
  • Real-World Lab Data in Natalizumab Treated Multiple Sclerosis Patients Up to 6 Years Long-Term Follow Up. Kaufmann M, Haase R, Proschmann U, Ziemssen T, Akgün K. Front Neurol. 2018 Dec 7;9:1071.
  • Profiling individual clinical responses by high- frequency serum neurofilament assessment in MS. Akgün K, Kretschmann N, Haase R, Proschmann U, Kitzler HH, Reichmann H, Ziemssen T. Neurol Neuroimmunol Neuroinflamm, 2019 Mar.
  • How minimal variations in neuronal cytoskeletal integrity modulate cognitive control. Beste C, Stock AK, Zink N, Ocklenburg S, Akgün K, Ziemssen T. Neuroimage. 2019 Jan 15;185:129-139.