Neural Regeneration

Research group Neuroregeneration and Innate Immuniy (LRNI)

Neural Regeneration

 

Principal investigator: Prof. Dr Jörg Mey
E-mail: jmey@sescam.jccm.es

 

The laboratory Neural Regeneration at the HNP was established in 2022 with the objective to develop therapeutic strategies for lesions of the central and peripheral nervous systems. The group works with animal models of spinal cord injury, sciatic nerve transection and autoimmunity. Research is also carried out with primary cell cultures using molecular biology and biochemistry methods.

 

We follow three principal lines of investigation:

• Cellular therapies of spinal cord injury
• Myelin phagocytosis in neurol pathologies
• Pathophysiology of Guillain-Barré Syndrome
 

 

Staff

 

Research staff

 

Prof. Jörg Mey, PhD (University of Tübingen, Germany, 1994), Habilitation in zoology (venia legendi, RWTH Aachen University, Germany, 2007)
jmey@sescam.jccm.es

 

Ernesto Doncel Pérez, PhD (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 2001) ernestod@sescam.jccm.es

 

Lorenzo Romero Ramírez, PhD (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 2001) lromeroramirez@sescam.jccm.es

 

Vinnitsa Buzoianu Anguiano, PhD (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 2019) vbuzoianu@externas.sescam.jccm.es

 

Raquel Díaz Martínez, PhD (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 2011) rdiazmartinez@externas.sescam.jccm.es

 

 

Technical Staff

 

Concepción García Rama. cgrama@externas.sescam.jccm.es

 

 

Graduate Students

 

Alejandro Arriero Cabañero, MSc (Universidad de Castilla-la Mancha, 2022) alejandroarriero@hotmail.es

 

 

Marta Aguado Garrido, MSc (Universidad de Castilla-la Mancha, 2022) martaaguado98@gmail.com

 

 

 

Metodology of the laboratory

 

- In vitro: primary cultures of astrocytes, macrophages, microglia and neurons, bone marrow-derived stromal cells, various cell lines, flow cytometry.

 

- In vivo: rodent models of spinal cord and peripheral nerve injury, peripheral nervous system autoimmunity; surgical procedures, evaluation of sensory motor and autonomic functions and pain, using behavioral assays, cinematic analysis.

 

- Histology: paraffin and cryostat sections, immunohistochemistry, enzymatic assays of apoptosis, cell proliferation, epifluorescence and confocal microscopy.

 

- Molecular biology and biochemistry: qRT-PCR, SDS-PAGE Western blotting, enzyme assays of inflammation, transfection of cell lines, extracellular vesicles.

 

- Clinical investigation: RCT of cellular therapies with chronic SCI patients; the group is in charge of the Guillain-Barré Syndrome biobank, Consejería de Sanidad de Castilla-la Mancha.

 

 

Funding of current research projects (2022-2026)

 

Ministerio de  Ciencia e Innovación, España (plan nacional); Consejería de Educación de Castilla la Mancha/Fundación del HNP (investigo); projects funded by industrial partners (Neuroplast, Maastricht, NL); CONACYT, México (posdoctoral scholarships).

 

 

Publicacions (2020-2022)

 

- Romero-Ramírez L., Wu S, de Munter J, Wolters E, Kramer BW, Mey J. Treatment of rats with spinal cord injury using human bone marrow-derived stromal cells prepared by negative selection. J. Biomed. Sci. 27 (2020): 35, doi: 10.1186/s12929-020-00629-y

 

- Wirth MJ, Ackels T, Kriebel A, Kriebel K, Mey J, Kuenzel T, Wagner H. Expression patterns of chloride transporters in the auditory brainstem of developing chicken. Hearing Res. 393 (2020), doi: 10.1016/j.heares.2020.108013

 

- De la Fuente J, Urra JM, Contreras M, Pacheco I, Ferreras-Colino E, Doncel-Pérez E, Fernández de Mera IG, VillarM, Cabrera CM, Gómez Hernando C, Vargar Baquero E, Blanco García J, Rodríguez Gómez J, Velayos Galán A, Feo Brito F, Gómez Torrijo E, Cabezas-Cruz A, Gortázar C. A dataset for the analysis of antibody response to glycan alpha-Gal in individuals with immune-mediated disorders. F1000Res. 9 (2020): 1366, doi: 10.12688/f1000research.27495.2 PMID: 34408852

 

- De Munter JPJM, Mey J, Strekalova T, Kramer BW, Wolters ECh. Why do anti-inflammatory signals from bone marrow-derived stromal cells improve neurodegenerative conditions where anti-inflammatory drugs fail? J. Neural Transm. 127 (2020): 715-727, doi: 10.1007/s00702-020-02173-3.

 

- Revuelta J, Aranaz I, Acosta N, Civera C, Bastida A, Peña N, Monterrey DT, Doncel Pérez E, GarridoL, Heras Á, García-Junceda E, Fernández-Mayoralas A. Unraveling the structural landscape of chitosan-based heparan sulfate mimics binding to growth factors: deciphering structural determinants for optimal activity. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces. 23 (2020): 25534-25545, doi: 10.1021/acsami.0c03074.

 

- Buzoianu-Anguiano V, Torres-Llacsa M, Doncel-Pérez E. Role of aldynoglia cells in neuroinflammatory and neuroimmune responses after spinal cord injury.  Cells 10 (2021): 2783. doi: 10.3390/cells10102783. PMID: 34685763.

 

- Pacheco I, Fernández de Mera IG; Feo Brito F, Gómez Torrijos E, Villar M, Contreras M, Lima-Barbero JF, Doncel-Pérez E, Cabezas-Cruz A, Gortázar C, de la Fuente J. Characterization of the anti-α-Gal antibody profile in association with Guillain-Barré syndrome, implications for tick-related allergic reactions. Ticks Tick Borne Dis. 3 (2021): 101651, doi: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101651.

 

- Wu S, Romero-Ramírez L, Mey J. Retinoic acid increases phagocytosis of myelin by macrophages. J. Cell. Physiol. 236 (2021): 3929-3945, doi: 10.1002/jcp.30137.

 

- 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.

 

 

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 [ongoing, started in 01/2022], 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

 

The principal investigators supervise student's scientific projects (TFG, TFM) and practials for Spanish universities and ERASMUS exchange students. At the international level, official agreements are in place with the Universidad Anáhuac (Mexico), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México and the RWTH Aachen University (Germany). JM is adjunct professor (zoology) at RWTH University (mey@bio2.rwth-aachen.de) and assistant professor at Maastricht University (Netherlands; joerg.mey@maastrichtuniversity.nl), where he teaches neuroanatomy and cell biology. He is a member of the executive board of the  EURON International Graduate School of Neuroscience (a consortium of universities in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France and Louxembourg) [https://euronschool.eu/]. The principal investigators of the group supervise PhD projects in cooperation with the Universities of Castilla-la Mancha and Maastricht.