Prof. Dr. med. Sebastian Jessberger

Area of Research

Description of Research Interest

Neural stem cells (NSCs) generate new neurons throughout life in two distinct areas of the mammalian brain, the subventricular zone lining the lateral ventricles and the hippocampal dentate gyrus. Adult neurogenesis has been implicated in tissue homeostasis, physiologic brain function, and is also associated with a number of neuro-psychiatric diseases, such as cognitive aging and depression. Understanding the mechanisms underlying adult neurogenesis represents a prerequisite for future therapeutic targeting of adult NSCs for endogenous brain repair. Our previous work has identified several pathways/genes that are critically involved in certain steps, from the dividing NSC to the integrating newborn neuron, during the developmental course of adult neurogenesis. Further, we have participated in efforts to characterize the functional role of adult neurogenesis on a behavioral level. Currently, we use gene expression profiling together with analyses of the metabolic state of NSCs and their progeny to study the molecular framework of NSC diversity in the adult brain and to identify novel regulators of the neurogenic process. In addition, our laboratory aims to understand how physiologic and disease-associated alterations of the neurogenic niche are translated into stem cell-associated plastic changes of the adult brain on a cellular but also behavioral level.