Branco Weiss Fellow Since
2023
Research Category
Organic Chemistry, Neuroscience, Immunology
Research Location
Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zürich, Switzerland
Background
Neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, affect over 50 million people globally and this number is only expected to grow in the coming years. Unfortunately, current treatment options for patients only achieve symptom alleviation or mildly slow disease progression without addressing the fundamental cause of the disease. While the exact causes of neurodegeneration remain largely unknown, an increasing body of evidence suggests that the overactivation of the brain’s immune system is a major contributor. Understanding the molecular details of the processes that activate and regulate cerebral immunity could enable us to tackle neurodegeneration at its root.
Details of Research
Upon infection or stress, neural cells release chemokine signals that are detected by immune cells via cell-surface chemokine receptors, triggering the immune response. The activation of chemokine receptors is a tightly regulated process. One mechanism how nature accomplishes this regulation is through post translational modification (PTM). In his research, Dr. Tomas Fiala will study how chemokine receptor PTMs regulate receptor sensitivity towards chemokine signals in the context of brain inflammation. He will develop chemical tools that allow for the installation and removal of receptor PTMs on demand. With his tools, Dr. Fiala will dissect the role of individual chemokine receptor PTMs in the cerebral immune response and characterize the border between a healthy immune response and a pathological state that leads to neurodegeneration. Ultimately, these results could help identify novel targets and strategies for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders.
