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Neural Regeneration
Neural Regeneration
Principal investigator: Prof. Dr Jörg Mey
E-mail: jmey@sescam.jccm.es
The research lab Neural Regeneration studies two neuropathologies: Spinal cord injury (SCI) and the Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS). Based on rodent models of spinal cord injury and cell cultures we use biochemistry, molecular biology, cytometry and histology methods to understand the pathologies and develop new treatments. The GBS research line is based on the evaluation of patient data and blood samples.
Principal Objective:
Develop new therapies for lesions of the spinal cord and the peripheral nervous system
We have three specific research lines:
• Biomaterials for the release of drugs within the CNS
• Clearance of myelin debris after SCI
• Biomarkers for diagnostic prediction in Guillain-Barré Syndrome
- Dr. Jörg Mey. Principal Investigator
PhD in Biology/Neuroscience (Dr. rer. nat., Universität Tübingen, Germany, 1994), habilitation in zoology (venia legendi, RWTH Aachen University, Germany, 2000). jmey@sescam.jccm.es
- Dr. Ernesto Doncel Pérez. PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biology (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 2001). ernestod@sescam.jccm.es
- Dr. Lorenzo Romero Ramírez. PhD in Natural Sciences (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 2001). lromeroramirez@sescam.jccm.es
- Alejandro Arriero Cabañero. Predoctoral investigator, PhD-student (MSc, Universidad de Castilla-la Mancha, 2022). aarrieroc@externas.sesca.jccm.es
- Zhenxiao Ren. Predoctoral investigator, PhD-student (MS Medicina, Sun Yat-sen University, China 2024). zren@externas.sescam.jccm.es
Metodology of the laboratory
- In vitro: primary cultures of macrophages, microglia, and neurons; bone marrow derived stem cells; cell lines, flow cytometry evaluation.
- In vivo: spinal cord surgery in rodent models, functional models for evaluation of sensory-motor recovery, neuropathic pain.
- Biomaterials: chitosan nanoparticles for drug release in the CNS, physical and chemical characterization of materials, bioassays.
- Histoloy: paraffin and cryostat sections, immunofluorescence, enzymatic staining for cell death, proliferation, histochemistry; epifluorescence and confocal miscroscopy, time lapse video microscopy.
- Molecular biology and biochemistry: qRT-PCR, SDS-PAGE Western blotting, enzymatic tests of inflammation, metabolic activity, multiplex ELISA, genetic transfections, preparation of extracellular vesicles.
- Clinical investigation: Cellular therapy of SCI, industrial cooperation, the group maintains the Guillain-Barré collection of the biobank Consejería de Sanidad de Castilla-la Mancha.
Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, España (plan nacional); Consejería de Educación de Castilla la Mancha/Fundación del HNP (investigo); funding by industrial cooperation partner: Neuroplast, Maastricht, NL; predoctoral scholarships: Wings for Life Foundation (Salzburg, Austria), Chinese Scholarship Council; crowd funding (clinical investigation of GBS).
Publicacions (2022-2025)
- Wu S, Romero-Ramírez L, Mey J. Taurolithocholic acid but not tauroursodeoxycholic acid rescues phagocytosis activity of bone marrow-derived macrophages under inflammatory stress. J. Cell. Physiol. 237 (2022): 1455-1470, doi: 10.1002/jcp.30619
- Romero-Ramírez L, García-Rama C, Wu S, Mey J. Bile acids attenuate PKM2 pathway activation in proinflammatory microglia. Sci. Rep. 12 (2022): 1459, doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-05408-3
- Wu S, García-Rama C, Romero-Ramírez L, de Munter JPJM, Wolters ECh, BW Kramer BW and Mey J. Tauroursodeoxycholic acid reduces neuroinflammation but does not support long term functional recovery of rats with spinal cord injury. Biomedicines 10 (2022): 1501, doi: 10.3390/biomedicines10071501.
- Smaling A, Romero-Ramírez L and Mey J. Is TGR5 a therapeutic target for spinal cord injury? J. Neurochem. 164 (2023): 454-467.
- Aguado-Garrido M, García-Rama C, Romero-Ramírez L, Buzoianu-Anguiano V, Pérez-Rizo E, Kramer BW and Mey J. Improved efficacy of delayed treatment with human bone marrow-derived stromal cells evaluated in rats with spinal cord injury. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 25 (2024): 1548, doi: 10.3390/ijms25031548.
- Romero-Ramírez L, García-Rama C and Mey J. Janus kinase inhibitor Brepocitinib rescues myelin phagocytosis under inflammatory conditions: In vitro evidence from microglia and macrophage cell lines. Mol. Neurobiol. 61 (2024): 6423-6434, doi: 10.1007/s12035-024-03963-6.
- Romero-Ramírez L and Mey J. Emerging roles of bile acids and TGR5 in the central nervous system: Molecular functions and therapeutic implications. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 25 (2024): 9279, doi: 10.3390/ijms25179279
- Arriero-Cabañero A, García-Vences E, Sánchez-Torres S, Aristizabal-Hernandez S, García-Rama C, Pérez-Rizo E, Fernández-Mayoralas A, Grijalva I, Buzoianu-Anguiano V, Doncel-Pérez E and Mey J. Transplantation of predegenerated peripheral nerves after complete spinal cord transection in rats: Effect of neural precursor cells and pharmacological treatment with the sulfoglycolipid Tol-51. Cells 13 (2024): 1324, doi: 10.3390/cells13161324.
- Díaz R, Blanco-García J, Rodríguez-Gómez J, Vargas-Baquero E, Fernández-Alarcón C, Terán-Tinedo JR, Romero-Ramírez L, Mey J, de la Fuente, J, Villar M, Beneitez A, Muñoz-Turrillas MdC, Zurdo-López M, Sagredo del Río M, Lorenzo-Lozano MdC, Marsal-Alonso C, Morales-Casado, MI, Parra-Serrano J and Doncel-Pérez E. Hospital coordination and protocols using serum and peripheral blood cells from patients and healthy donors in a longitudinal study of Guillain-Barré syndrome. Diagnostics 15 (2025), doi: 10.3390/diagnostics15151900.
- Arriero-Cabañero A, Díaz-Rubio N, Talabán-Rocha C, Romero-Ramírez L, Buzoianu-Anguiano V and Mey J. Cellular distribution of pyruvate kinase M2 after spinal cord injury in adult rats. Mol. Neurobiol 63 (2026), doi: 10.1007/s12035-025-05508-x.
Patents
- Doncel-Pérez E, García Álvarez I, Nieto-Sampredo M. Uso de glicolipidos sulfatados como promotores del crecimiento neurítio, la mielinización en inhibidores de la proliferación de astroglia y microglia. (WO2014006250) CSIC, Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos de Toledo.
- Groult H, Ruiz-Cabello J, Herranz Rabanal F, Fernández Mayoralas A, Nieto Sampedro M, Romero Ramírez L, García Álvarez I. Superparamagnetic nanoparticle micelles containing antitumoral glycosides. (EP14382093.4) CSIC-CNIC-CIBERES.
- Fernández-Mayoralas A, Nieto Sampedro M, Casas Brugulat J, García Álvarez I, Romero Ramírez L. Derivados de n-trifluoroacetilhexosaminas y su uso como inhibidores de la división de células tumorales. (P201230510) CSIC, FUHNPAIIN.
- Nieto Sampedro M, Romero Ramírez L. Inhibidores de la división de células tumorales. (P201031552; ES1641.823, PCT/ES2011/070732) CSIC, FUHNPAIIN.
- Fernández-Mayoralas A, Nieto Sampedro M, Casas Brugulat J, García Álvarez I, Romero Ramírez L. Derivados azufrados de n-acetilhexosaminas y su uso como inhibidores de la división de células tumorales. (P201030366, PCT/ES2011/070169) CSIC, FUHNPAIIN.
Clinical trials
- NCT03935724 A multi-center, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, delayed-start phase II/III study to assess the efficacy and safety of Neuro-Cells in (sub)acute spinal cord injury patients [01/2022 – 06/2024], Principal investigators: Antonio Oliviero, Jörg Mey.
- NCT04205019 A 3 months open phase I study to assess the safety of the intrathecal application of Neuro-Cells in end stage (chronic) traumatic spinal cord injury patients [11/2020 - 06/2021], principal investigators: Antonio Oliviero, Jörg Mey.
Academic Teaching
Academic teaching has always been an important activity of the group. We are offering laboratory practicals and BSc projects (TFG) for the biochemistry curriculum of the Universidad de Castilla-la Mancha and MSc projects (TFM) for the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Maastricht University (Netherlands) and the RWTH Aachen University (Germany). JM is an adjunct profesor of RWTH Aachen University (mey@bio2.rwth-aachen.de), assistant profesor at Maastricht University (Países Bajos; joerg.mey@maastrichtuniversity.nl), and member of the exectuive board of EURON Graduate School of Neuroscience, Maastricht (Paises Bajos) [https://euronschool.eu/], where he teaches Neuroanatomy. JM and LRR have been or are supervising PhD theses for RWTH Aachen University, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and Maastricht University.