Dr. Tobias Suter

 

Main Goals, Keywords

Our research aims at understanding the interaction of the immune system with the nervous system under both normal and inflammatory conditions.

Keywords: autoimmunity, anti-tumor immunity, neuroimmunology, antigen presentation, microglia, dendritic cells, cytokines, oligodendrocytes, de- and re-myelination, HIF-1a, HGF, transgenic mice, EAE, MS.

Group Members

1 PI, 1 Research Associate, 1 Research Assistant, 1 PhD-Student.

Previous and Current Research

The focus of our research is currently on the role of myeloid cells in the regulation of central nervous system (CNS) autoimmunity. To this end, we use experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in mice as a model for multiple sclerosis (MS). We have been studying both the disease initiating role of dendritic cells (DC) and the role of potentially disease mitigating antigen presenting cells (APC). Currently, we are particularly intrigued by the functions that the CNS resident APC, the microglia, might execute both in propagation and resolution of the disease.

Based on our recent oligodendrocyte work, we start in 2011 a new project funded by the SNF, in which we study the role of HIF-1a and HGF in the repair response during CNS autoimmunity.

Techniques and Equipment

In vivo immunology using gene-targeted and transgenic mice, neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration models, cellular in vitro assays, protein biochemistry, molecular biology.

Selected Publications

• Moransard M, Dann A, Staszewski O, Fontana A, Prinz M and Suter T. NG2 expressed by macrophages and oligodendrocyte precursor cells is dispensable in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis. Brain. 2011 May;134(Pt 5):1315-30. doi: 10.1093/brain/awr070.
  

• Codarri L, Gyülveszi G, Tosevski V, Hesske L, Fontana A, Magnenat L, Suter T and Becher B. GM-CSF secretion by T_H cells during the effector phase of disease is essential for EAE pathogenesis and dependent on IL-23 and RORγt. Nat Immunol. 2011 Jun;12(6):560-7. doi: 10.1038/ni.2027. Epub 2011 Apr 24.
• Moransard M, Sawitsky M, Fontana A, Suter T.  Expression of the HGF receptor c-met by macrophages in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Glia. 2010 Apr;58(5):559-71. doi: 10.1002/glia.20945.

Funding

Swiss National Research Foundation, Swiss MS-Society, NCCR Neural Plasticity and Repair, Hartmann-Müller Stiftung

URL

http://www.klimm.usz.ch/LehreUndForschung/Seiten/Forschungsschwerpunkt.aspx