Effects of chemokine signalling on microglial physiology: An electrophysiological and molecular biological approach

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Helmut Kettenmann
• Subject Area: Molecular Biology and Physiology of Neurons and Glial Cells
• Term: from 2002 to 2006
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5378625

• Final Report Year: 2006

Final Report Abstract

The research project has yielded several novel conclusions: 1) Our suggestion that CCL21 is involved in neuronal-microglial signalling has been confirmed both in vivo and in vitro. 2) CXCR3 is present and functional in human microglia, this finding shows the clinical relevance of the project. 3) The Groningen lab have recently shown that CCL21 in neurons is packed in vesicles and can be released, probably at nerve endings. This may be a good explanation for neurodegenerative/ neuroinflammatory processes at distance from a lesion. In total, it was a very successful collaboration and it is still going on.