Bauer, Jan

Department: Department of Neuroimmunology
Head: Bauer, Jan, Ao.Univ.Prof. Dr.

Research Area:
Inflammation in the CNS

Description:

Research at the Department of Neuroimmunology focuses on pathological mechanisms of inflammatory diseases of the nervous system. In this large area of research, my special interests are the inflammatory reactions in epileptic disorders. Degeneration in epileptic brain can result from cytotoxicity by cytotoxic T cells, pathogenic antibodies with or without associated complement activation. In addition immune-mediatory or cytotoxic factors from the innate immune system can regulate or enhance the neurodegeneration and epileptic seizures. Neuropathological analysis of epileptic brains can be used to reveal which inflammatory reactions are occurring during ideases. One of these diseases studied is Rasmussen encephalitis, an epileptic disorder of unknown etiology mostly found in children. These pathological studies of Rasmussen encephalitis, antibody-associated encephalitides and other forms of epilepsy are performed in close cooperation with Prof. Dr. Christian Bien from the Epilepsy Centre of the Hospital Mara in Bielefeld, Germany. This work is complemented by the study of inflammatory reactions in other human diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis and various virus encephalitides (for instance progressive multifocal leukoencephalitis ). Besides the analysis of human brain, the study of various animal models of autoimmune or virus induced inflammatory CNS disease may give new insights in the initiation and development of CNS inflammation. These studies are performed in long-term collaboration with the research groups of Prof. Dr. Roland Liblau (Purpan University Hospital) in Toulouse, France and Prof. Dr. Bert ´t Hart (BPRC) in Rijswijk, The Netherlands.

Members:

Bauer, Jan, Ao.Univ.Prof. Dr.
Köck, Ulrike, MSc
Martin, Bethany
Tröscher, Anna, MSc
Verdu de Juan, Laia

Selected Publications of Principle Investigator:

1. Klang Andrea, Schmidt Peter, Kneissl Sibylle, Bagó Zoltán, Vincent Angela, Lang Bethan, Moloney Teresa, Bien Christian G., Halász Péter, Bauer Jan*, Pákozdy Ákos* (2014) IgG and Complement Deposition and Neuronal Loss in Cats and Humans With Epilepsy and Voltage-Gated Potassium Channel Complex Antibodies J Neuropath Exp Neurol, 73 (5): 403-413. *JB and AP share senior authorship
2. Bauer J, Vezzani A, Bien CG (2012) Epileptic encephalitis: the role of the innate and adaptive immune system Brain Pathol, 22(3): 412-421
   | Article (PDF) |
3. Bien CG, Vincent A, Barnett MH, Becker AJ, Blümcke I, Graus F, Jellinger KA, Reuss DE, Ribalta T, Schlegel J, Sutton I, Lassmann H, Bauer J. (2012) Immunopathology of autoantibody-associated encephalitides: clues for pathogenesis Brain, 135(Pt 5): 1622-1638
   | Article (PDF) |
4. Saxena A*, Bauer J*, Scheikl T, Zapulla J, Audebert M, Desbois S, Waisman A, Lassmann H, Liblau RS, Mars LT (2008) Cutting edge: Multiple sclerosis-like lesions induced by effector CD8 T cells recognizing a sequestered antigen on oligodendrocytes J Immunol, 181(3): 1617-1621. *AS and JB share first authorship
5. Bauer J, Elger CE, Hans VH, Schramm J, Urbach H, Lassmann H, Bien CG (2007) Astrocytes are a specific immunological target in Rasmussen's encephalitis Ann Neurol, 62(1): 67-80