Aging leads to impairment of tissues and ultimately the entire organism. It is considered the most prominent risk factor for the development of diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The incidence of AD is increasing, and the lesions are far from being satisfactorily treatable or preventable. It is now increasingly recognized that AD-causing factors originating in other organs may be carried to the brain, and in particular, recent evidence supports the involvement of peripheral organ diseases such as heart disease and chronic liver dysfunction in AD pathogenesis. In addition to aging, the obesity epidemic, a worldwide problem, increases the rate of AD.

The newly established research group aims to elucidate the association of non-neurological pathologies (e.g. cardiac and hepatic diseases) and AD pathogenesis in the process of aging in different murine models and cells. These models will aid us to elucidate the association between cognitive dysfunctions and non-neurological pathologies by focusing on obesity and steatohepatitis as risk factors, in addition to the molecular mechanisms underlying the development of these diseases. We expect that the results will be transferable to humans and will positively influence the prophylaxis and therapy of AD and liver diseases.

In addition to classical methods (RT-PCR, Western blotting and immunofluorescent staining), we are producing gene signatures through RNA sequencing to characterize different disease stages and identify molecular targets for diagnosis and treatment.

Behavioral tests:

Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by a progressive decline in cognition, primarily due to the loss of neurons and synapses in the formation of the hippocampus and related areas. These changes become apparent in mice only by performing various behavioral tests. Therefore, we are performing different types of behavioral tests in cooperation with Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE; AG Fischer).