Macroscale Hub
Macroscale Hub
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) Hub
1.0 Objective
1.1 Organisation
1.2 Technical portfolio
1.3 Available PET Tracers
1.4 Project request procedure
1.5 Fees
1.6 Publications
Translational Hub
2.0 Objective
2.1 Organisation
2.2 Project request procedure
2.3 Fees
2.4 Current projects
2.5 Publications
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1.0 Objective
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) are key imaging techniques to examine brain morphology and pathology in vivo. Synergistic effects may arise from the ability of PET to detect and quantify pathophysiological processes with very high sensitivity, and the ability of MRI to provide complementary morphological information due to the higher spatial resolution. Applying PET/MRI methods to preclinical animal models enables new (longitudinal) experimental designs and provides the potential for direct translation, thereby reducing the gap between clinical and experimental research. The SyNergy Macroscale Hub provides state-of-the-art preclinical scanners, imaging protocols, and processing pipelines for small animal PET/MRI.
Please contact the Macroscale Hub staff for project requests or further questions (ulrike.schillinger@med.uni-muenchen.de)top
1.1 Organisation
| Name | Function | Location | phone | |
| Ulrike Schillinger | project requests | ISD | ulrike.schillinger@med.uni-muenchen.de | 089-4400-46166 |
SyNergy Coordinators
| Name | Institution |
| Martin Dichgans | Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research, LMU Klinikum |
| Nicolai Franzmeier | Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research, LMU Klinikum |
| Matthias Brendel / Sibylle Ziegler |
Department of Nuclear Medicine, LMU Klinikum |
1.2 Technical portfolio
• Small animal PET/MR scanner (Mediso Nanoscan 3T) at the CSD building.
• Small animal PET scanner (Siemens Inveon) and small animal PET/CT (Mediso) at the department of Nuclear Medicine.
• Characterization of mouse brain morphology using structural, molecular, metabolic and quantitative imaging.
• Established imaging protocols for scanning, processing and quantification.
• Collaboration with radiopharmaceutical lab on campus (Department of Nuclear Medicine) for synthesis of PET tracers and development of novel tracers.
• Collaboration with the MR physics department (Department of Radiology, Prof. Olaf Dietrich) for optimizing and establishing MR techniques.
• Isotope laboratory for tracer handling and a dedicated animal housing cabinet for keeping animals overnight for isotope decay.
• High performance workstations for image reconstruction and quantification
• Software licenses for special applications (e.g. PMOD)
• Access to high performance compute cluster (Linux, CPU and GPU) on-premises.
1.3 Available PET Tracers (selection)
| Tracer | Isotope | Application |
| Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) | 18F | Glucose metabolism |
| GE-180 | 18F | Translocator protein (TSPO), Microglia activation |
| Florbetaben | 18F | Amyloid beta plaque load quantification |
| PI-2620 | 18F | Various tau targets (e.g. PHF and NFT) |
| Fluoroethyl-L-tyrosine (FET) | 18F | Aminoacid transport |
| Fluorothymidine (FLT) | 18F | Proliferation |
| UCB-H | 18F | Synaptic density |
| ML-10 | 18F | Apoptosis |
1.4 Project request procedure
To get more information and for general inquiries, please get in touch via email (ulrike.schillinger@med.uni-muenchen.de).
To start a new project, researchers must submit a short proposal, containing an abstract and all relevant details for planning the project (such as number of animals, planned experiments, tracers, etc.). The number of simultaneous projects depends heavily on these parameters, especially number of animals, frequency of scans and duration of a measurement series.
If resources (in terms of measurement time) run short, projects will be selected based on feasibility and scientific impact by the hub coordinators.
1.5 Fees
The use of the scanner (including typical consumables, but excluding radiotracers) is free of charge for SyNergy tandem projects. Personnel can be provided (depending on availability) or own personnel can be trained by hub staff.
Radiotracers are not included and have to be provided through individual project funding.
1.6 Publications
Zhao et al., Cell 2020
Parhizkar et al., Nat Neurosci 2019
Focke et al., J Nucl Med 2019
Kleinberger et al., EMBO 2017
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2.0 Objective
The Translational Hub is part of the Macroscale Hub and has been established in 2021. In recent years, the SyNergy cluster has made many excellent basic science discoveries in the field of neurobiology. On the other hand, there are a large number of unresolved questions and a high medical need for improved diagnostics and therapies of neurological diseases. The aim of the Translational Hub is to develop translational projects between basic science and clinical application to bridge this translational gap.
The Hub will assist with the development of translational projects by
- assessing the clinical need
- analyzing the feasibility
- designing clinical trials
- identifying academic and commercial partners
Translational projects that can be developed with the hub may encompass the development of diagnostic strategies or biomarkers as well as the identification of novel therapeutic strategies based on repurposed or novel drugs.
The hub will also act as a bridge and mediate the contact between basic researchers and supporting structures, such as academic/clinical research organizations (A/CRO), technology transfer organizations (TTO), intellectual property organizations (IPO) and others.
2.1 Organisation
Location of the Translational Hub in the Neuro-Kopf-Zentrum of the Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University Munich
Please contact the Translational Hub for project requests or further questions:
| Name | Function | Location | phone | |
| Paul Lingor | Coordinator | Neuro-Kopf-Zentrum MRI, Ismaninger Straße 22, 81675 München | paul.lingor@tum.de | 089-4140 8257 |
2.2 Project request procedure
Translational projects are often unique in their nature. There is no standard pipeline, which can be applied to every project. Let’s start with a discussion of your research findings and translational possibilities:
2.3 Fees
topProject-related costs must be borne by the applicant or jointly raised with the translational hub.
2.4 Current projects
ROCK-ALS: a phase IIa clinical trial on safety, tolerability and efficacy of the ROCK inhibitor Fasudil in patients with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
https://www.gesundheitsforschung-bmbf.de/de/eine-klinische-phase-ii-studie-zur-untersuchung-der-sicherheit-vertraglichkeit-und-7006.php
ROCK-PD: a phase IIa clinical trial on safety, tolerability and symptomatic efficacy of Fasudil in Parkinson’s disease patients
https://www.gesundheitsforschung-bmbf.de/de/sicherheit-vertraglichkeit-und-symptomatische-wirksamkeit-des-rock-inhibitors-fasudil-bei-13275.php
SAFE-ROCK: a phase Ib clinical trial to establish oral bioavailability of Fasudil in healthy volunteers
MAXOMOD: multi-omic analysis of synapto-axonal degeneration in Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
https://www.gesundheitsforschung-bmbf.de/de/maxomod-multi-omische-analyse-axono-synaptischer-degeneration-bei-motoneuronerkrankungen-9409.php
2.5 Publications
Lingor P, Koch JC, Statland JM, Hussain S, Hennecke C, Wuu J, Langbein T, Ahmed R, Günther R, Ilse B, Kassubek J, Kollewe K, Kuttler J, Leha A, Lengenfeld T, Meyer T, Neuwirth C, Tostmann R, Benatar M. Challenges and opportunities for Multi-National Investigator-Initiated clinical trials for ALS: European and United States collaborations. Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener. 2021 Aug;22(5-6):419-425. doi: 10.1080/21678421.2021.1879866. Epub 2021 Feb 3. PMID: 33533663; PMCID: PMC8289747.
Lingor P, Weber M, Camu W, Friede T, Hilgers R, Leha A, Neuwirth C, Günther R, Benatar M, Kuzma-Kozakiewicz M, Bidner H, Blankenstein C, Frontini R, Ludolph A, Koch JC; ROCK-ALS Investigators. ROCK-ALS: Protocol for a Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind Phase IIa Trial of Safety, Tolerability and Efficacy of the Rho Kinase (ROCK) Inhibitor Fasudil in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Front Neurol. 2019 Mar 27;10:293. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2019.00293. PMID: 30972018; PMCID: PMC6446974.
Maass F, Michalke B, Willkommen D, Leha A, Schulte C, Tönges L, Mollenhauer B, Trenkwalder C, Rückamp D, Börger M, Zerr I, Bähr M, Lingor P. Elemental fingerprint: Reassessment of a cerebrospinal fluid biomarker for Parkinson's disease. Neurobiol Dis. 2020 Feb;134:104677. doi: 10.1016/j.nbd.2019.104677. Epub 2019 Nov 13. PMID: 31733347.
Caldi Gomes L, Roser AE, Jain G, Pena Centeno T, Maass F, Schilde L, May C, Schneider A, Bähr M, Marcus K, Fischer A, Lingor P. MicroRNAs from extracellular vesicles as a signature for Parkinson's disease. Clin Transl Med. 2021 Apr;11(4):e357. doi: 10.1002/ctm2.357. PMID: 33931970; PMCID: PMC8021010.
Canaslan S, Schmitz M, Villar-Piqué A, Maass F, Gmitterová K, Varges D, Lingor P, Llorens F, Hermann P, Zerr I. Detection of Cerebrospinal Fluid Neurofilament Light Chain as a Marker for Alpha-Synucleinopathies. Front Aging Neurosci. 2021 Sep 22;13:717930. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.717930. PMID: 34630068; PMCID: PMC8493247.
Maass F, Michalke B, Willkommen D, Canaslan S, Schmitz M, Bähr M, Zerr I, Lingor P. Cerebrospinal Fluid Iron-Ferritin Ratio as a Potential Progression Marker for Parkinson's Disease. Mov Disord. 2021 Sep 23. doi: 10.1002/mds.28790. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34553776.
Schmitz M, Canaslan S, Villar-Piqué A, Gmitterová K, Varges D, Lingor P, Llorens F, Hermann P, Maass F, Zerr I. Validation of Plasma Neurofilament Light Chain as a Marker for α-Synucleinopathies. Mov Disord. 2021 Nov;36(11):2701-2703. doi: 10.1002/mds.28724. Epub 2021 Aug 11. PMID: 34379333.
Freigang M, Wurster CD, Hagenacker T, Stolte B, Weiler M, Kamm C, Schreiber-Katz O, Osmanovic A, Petri S, Kowski A, Meyer T, Koch JC, Cordts I, Deschauer M, Lingor P, Aust E, Petzold D, Ludolph AC, Falkenburger B, Hermann A, Günther R. Serum creatine kinase and creatinine in adult spinal muscular atrophy under nusinersen treatment. Ann Clin Transl Neurol. 2021 May;8(5):1049-1063. doi: 10.1002/acn3.51340. Epub 2021 Mar 31. PMID: 33792208; PMCID: PMC8108420.
Beyer L, Günther R, Koch JC, Klebe S, Hagenacker T, Lingor P, Biesalski AS, Hermann A, Nabers A, Gold R, Tönges L, Gerwert K. TDP-43 as structure-based biomarker in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Ann Clin Transl Neurol. 2021 Jan;8(1):271-277. doi: 10.1002/acn3.51256. Epub 2020 Dec 2. PMID: 33263951; PMCID: PMC7818221.
Maass F, Rikker S, Dambeck V, Warth C, Tatenhorst L, Csoti I, Schmitz M, Zerr I, Leha A, Bähr M, Lingor P. Increased alpha-synuclein tear fluid levels in patients with Parkinson's disease. Sci Rep. 2020 May 22;10(1):8507. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-65503-1. PMID: 32444780; PMCID: PMC7244583.
Boerger M, Funke S, Leha A, Roser AE, Wuestemann AK, Maass F, Bähr M, Grus F, Lingor P. Proteomic analysis of tear fluid reveals disease-specific patterns in patients with Parkinson's disease - A pilot study. Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2019 Jun;63:3-9. doi: 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2019.03.001. Epub 2019 Mar 6. PMID: 30876839.
Roser AE, Caldi Gomes L, Schünemann J, Maass F, Lingor P. Circulating miRNAs as Diagnostic Biomarkers for Parkinson's Disease. Front Neurosci. 2018 Sep 5;12:625. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00625. PMID: 30233304; PMCID: PMC6135037.
Maass F, Michalke B, Leha A, Boerger M, Zerr I, Koch JC, Tönges L, Bähr M, Lingor P. Elemental fingerprint as a cerebrospinal fluid biomarker for the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease. J Neurochem. 2018 May;145(4):342-351. doi: 10.1111/jnc.14316. Epub 2018 Apr 2. PMID: 29388213.