PRIV.-DOZ. DR. MED. MATHIAS GELDERBLOM

Stroke and Immunology

The molecular events in acute stroke can be divided in several stages. First, within minutes the hypoxia and energy deficiency lead to immediate cell death. In a second step, there is a rapidly developing inflammatory reaction involving local and peripheral immune cells. This inflammatory reaction influences not only the initial infarct growth but also the long-term recovery. Using state-of-the-art techniques, we aim to decipher immunological mechanisms that influence the neurological outcome after a stroke in the short and long term. A particular focus of our work is on the highly conserved pro inflammatory cytokine Interleukin-17A, IL-17A-producing innate lymphocytes and meningeal immune cells. We try to understand on the one hand how IL-17A influences the early inflammatory response and on the other hand what effects the cytokine has on long-term regeneration. The investigation of long-term effects is of high relevance since it is now established that IL-17A not only triggers immunological cascades but also has direct effects on neurons and can thereby influence behavioral memory and learning.