Lou Brundins research group

Stemcells and inflammation

The effects of inflammation on neural stem cells

During injuries and inflammation in the central nervous system neural stem/progenitor cells are activated to migrate into the injury. A limited replacement of the injured tissue can be achieved by differentiation of the progenitor cells. The replacement of oligodendrocytes which occurs in the early phases of multiple sclerosis is an example of this mechanism.

Our group works to identify mechanisms important for the regeneration from progenitor cells and how these mechanisms are affected by inflammatory mediators. We have demonstrated that some components in the inflammatory cascade such as nitric oxide can change the fate of the progenitor cells and hampers neurogenesis. We have also demonstrated that progenitor cells carry receptors which on stimulation can cause the release of proinflammatory cytokines from these cells. The aim of our research is to improve the restoration and limit the injury by preservation of restorative mechanisms in the CNS. Our research group consists of neurologists, neurosurgeons and neurobiologists.

^{Brundin and Svenssons research groups. From the right: Lou Brundin, Cynthia Perez Estrada, Maria Bergsland, Jonathan Nordblom, Nasren Jaff, Sebastian Thams, Lisa Arvidsson, Per Mattson, Arvid Frostell, Sreenivasa Sankavaram, Mikael Svensson Missing: Ruxandra Covacu, Ellen Iacobaeus, Jonas Gripenland, Pendar Khalili, Britt Meijer, Biljana Milovac}

Research Projects

Adult neural stem cells in neuroinflammation
Neural stem cells a potential source of remyelination in neuroinflammatory disease
Neurogenesis in the adult spinal cord experimental models of multiple sclerosis
Effects of nitric oxide on neurogenesis from adult neural stem cells
Proliferation, migration and differentiation of neural progenitor cells
Biomarkers for disease activity in multiple sclerosis
Mesenchymal stem cell transplantation in multiple sclerosis

Selected Publications

Dynamics of oligodendrocyte generation in multiple sclerosis.
Yeung M, Djelloul M, Steiner E, Bernard S, Salehpour M, Possnert G, et al
Nature 2019 02;566(7745):538-542

Syngeneic, in contrast to allogeneic, mesenchymal stem cells have superior therapeutic potential following spinal cord injury.
Hakim R, Covacu R, Zachariadis V, Frostell A, Sankavaram S, Svensson M, et al
J. Neuroimmunol. 2019 Mar;328():5-19

The national incidence of PML in Sweden, 1988-2013.
Iacobaeus E, Burkill S, Bahmanyar S, Hakim R, Byström C, Fored M, et al
Neurology 2018 Feb;90(6):e498-e506

New insights into the burden and costs of multiple sclerosis in Europe: Results for Sweden.
Brundin L, Kobelt G, Berg J, Capsa D, Eriksson J,
Mult. Scler. 2017 Aug;23(2_suppl):179-191

Change of fate commitment in adult neural progenitor cells subjected to chronic inflammation.
Covacu R, Perez Estrada C, Arvidsson L, Svensson M, Brundin L
J. Neurosci. 2014 Aug;34(35):11571-82