02. 12. 2024
Lab receives a grant!!
Our lab is awarded a grant founded by Novartis foundation for studying Capillary Pericyte development in Brain. Congratulations, Annika!
20.11.2024
Our recent publication is online!
Happy to share recent work from our lab published in the Life Science Alliance “Targeting TREM2 signaling shows limited impact on cerebrovascular calcification” (https://lnkd.in/eezUB5U6). Prior work from our group (https://lnkd.in/ePD-Pcq3) showed that microglia, the brain resident macrophages, play a role in curtailing cerebrovascular calcifications and require TREM2 for this function. In this follow up study, we made use of an TREM2 activating antibody to test whether this treatment can boost microglial clearance of calcifications. Here we find that activating TREM2 improves a TREM2 dependent response of microglia to calcifications but is insufficient to resolve the pathology.
This work highlights the difficulty in translating genetic loss-of-function studies to potential therapeutic avenues.
Nevertheless, two new studies published in Neuron (Cell Press journal) on August 21, 2024 (DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.05.018 and DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.05.023) have shown microglia to be fully capable of resolving cerebral calcifications and provide exciting new strategies to investigate how microglia perform this crucial job.
This work was realized by collaborations with the current and past members of the Keller lab (Sucheta Sridhar; Upasana Maheshwari; Sheng-Fu Huang), the Colonna lab at Washington University in St. Louis, Alector, Tania Wyss and Sergio Bertazzo. We are grateful to the Centre of Microscopy and Image Analysis at University of Zurich for providing amazing infrastructure, and to Swiss National Science Foundation SNSF and GRC UZH for funding.
01. .11. 2024
Welcome! Sidonie joins the lab!
05. 08. 2024
Application closed.
A open PhD position funded by SNF to study pericyte maturation. The position will be filled as soon as possible, please contact Annika directly via email if you are interested. More information
03. 04. 2024
Lab receives a grant!!
Our lab is awarded a grant founded by SNF for studying Capillary Pericyte Heterogeneity in Brain: Development and Function. Congratulations, Annika!
29. 07. 2023
Our recent publication is online!
We are excited to share our manuscript published @brainpathol. In this study, we show that mice heterozygous for Xpr1, only known inorganic phosphate exporter, present with brain vascular calcifications and microangiopathy. We provide a new mouse model to study primary familial brain calcification and provide evidence of vascular pathology, in addition to calcifications, in mouse model of this disease.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37505935/
This work was realized with great collaborations of @akellerlab with @uzh_microscopy, @RuiqingNI, @ulli2512, Greter Lab @ Institute of Experimental Immunology, UZH, Flora Szeri, Huiberdina Koek, and Pim de Jong. We are grateful for funding and encouragement from @SSMVR_Swiss, @SynapsisFound and, @snsf_ch.
03. 07. 2023
Welcome! Sophia Peruzzo joins the lab!
03. 01. 2023
Application closed.
Vacant PhD position funded by ERA-NET NEURON for three years to study changes in the vascular extracellular matrix in the brain using mouse models for human disease.
29. 12. 2022
Lab receives a grant!!
Our lab is awarded a grant founded by ERA-NET NEURON, JTC2022 – Cerebrovascular, together with Prof. Anne Joutel (coordinator), Prof. Martin Dichgans and Dr. Aniket Mirshra to study changes in the extracellular matrix in cerebral small vessel diseases. Congratulations, Annika!
22.12.2022
Our recent publication is online!
If you are interested in blood flow changes in cerebral vessels due to developmental #pericyte deficiency
↓↓↓here is the link to our recent publication↓↓↓
Altered hemodynamics and vascular reactivity in a mouse model with severe pericyte deficiency
Thank you @JillStobart and Bruno Weber’s lab!
03.11.2022
5th Swiss Vascular Research Symposium
Post-doctoral fellows, Upasana Maheshwari and Sheng-Fu Huang, have won the best oral presentation award and the best poster presentation award, in 5th Swiss Vascular Research Symposium. Congrats Upasana and Fufu!
02. 09. 2022
Franco Regli Prize 2021
Dr. Annika Keller’s work “Microglia control small vessel calcification via TREM2” was recognized as a distinguished nominee!! Congratulations, Annika!
More information, please check the official webpage of Franco Regli Foundation and the announcement
28. 02. 2022
Solidarity with Ukraine
The University of Zurich condemns Russia’s attack on Ukraine and the grave violation of international law. Ukrainian students and researchers can count on the support of UZH.
An overview of support offers: https://uzh.ch/en/about/global/solidarity-with-ukraine.html…
#UnisStandWithUkraine