Prof. Dr. Oliver Brüstle

We have a key interest in the mechanisms underlying stem cell self-renewal and differentiation and in exploiting them for the controlled generation of defined classes of neural stem cells from human pluripotent stem cells. Combining this expertise with cell reprogramming and direct transcription factor-based cell fate conversion we generate human neurons and glia from patient skin fibroblasts and employ them for deciphering driver mechanisms involved in the molecular and cellular pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. Examples of ongoing studies include human ES and iPS cell-based models of Alzheimer’s disease and polyglutamine disorders. In collaboration with LIFE & BRAIN GmbH we extend these approaches towards industrialized solutions for stem cell-based drug development. In a second line of studies we use pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons and glia in order to develop transplant-based strategies for the treatment of neurological diseases such as metabolic disorders, epilepsy and dysmyelinating diseases.