Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie

Research focus

Our research group is interested in various aspects of neuroinflammtion and neurodegeneration related to aging and psychiatric diseases (Alzheimer’s disease, depression etc.).
We are studying in detail  inflammatory pathways such as cytokines and chemokines and the arachidonic acid cascade in microglia with a focus on Prostaglandin E2/D2 and the enzymes involved in their synthesis (COX, mPGES, PGDS).
Another major focus of our group is the role of the GPR55 in neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration and the impact of GPR55 antagonists/agonists on neuroinflammatory events in several cell types of the CNS.
We also investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of natural derived drugs (natural products).

Research projects

• Neuroinflammation and depression
• Psychoneuroendocrinology
• Alzheimer’s disease and neurodegeneration
• Aging
• GPR55

Cooperations

• Neuroinflammation: Dr. Antonio Oliveira (University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brasil), Dr. Candelario-Jalil, (University of Florida, Gainesville, USA)
• GPRs: Prof. Bäse (KIT Karlsruhe), Prof. F. Simonin (University of Strasbourg, France)
• Natural products: Prof. M. Heinrich (School of Pharmacy London), Prof. G. Appendino (University of Navarra, Italy), Prof. M. Olajide (University of Huddersfield, UK) ,  Prof. E. Munoz (University of Cordoba, Spain)
• Nutrition and healthy aging: Dr. G. Eckert (University of Frankfurt)
• Neuropeptides: Prof. K. Lieb (Universitätsmedizin Mainz)
• Microglia/CNS and Nanowires: Prof. T. Stieglitz (IMTEK Freiburg)
• Enviromental toxins affecting the brain: Prof.H. Fetou (University of Sfax, Tunisia), Prof. M. Bouchard (University of Montreal, Canada)
• Purino receptors: Prof. R. Akundi (South Asian University, New Delhi, India
• miRNA: Dr. T. Nuehrenberg (University Heart Center Bad Krozingen), Dr. A Höllig (University Hospital RWTH Aachen)

Selected recent papers

• Sun L, Wilke Saliba S, Apweiler M, Akmermer K, Herlan C, Grathwol C, de Oliveira ACP, Normann C, Jung N, Bräse S, Fiebich BL. Anti-Neuroinflammatory Effects of a Macrocyclic Peptide-Peptoid Hybrid in Lipopolysaccharide-Stimulated BV2 Microglial Cells. Int J Mol Sci. 2024 Apr 18;25(8):4462. doi: 10.3390/ijms25084462. PMID: 38674048 Free PMC article.
• Günther M, Schnierle P, Rose T, Schlegel J, Boonen G, Drewe J, Muñoz E, Fiebich BL, Culmsee C. AMPK Activation by Cimicifuga racemosa Extract Ze 450 Is Associated with Metabolic Effects and Cellular Resilience against Age-Related Pathologies in Different Tissue Cell Types. Pharmaceutics. 2024 Mar 13;16(3):393. doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16030393. PMID: 38543287 Free PMC article.
• Gellner AK, Reis J, Fiebich BL, Fritsch B. Cx3cr1 deficiency interferes with learning- and direct current stimulation-mediated neuroplasticity of the motor cortex. Eur J Neurosci. 2024 Jan;59(2):177-191. doi: 10.1111/ejn.16206. Epub 2023 Dec 4. PMID: 38049944
• Bhatia HS, Apweiler M, Sun L, Baron J, Tirkey A, Fiebich BL. Licochalcone A Inhibits Prostaglandin E₂ by Targeting the MAPK Pathway in LPS Activated Primary Microglia. Molecules. 2023 Feb 17;28(4):1927. doi.org/10.3390/molecules28041927. PMID: 36838914
• Apweiler M, Streyczek J, Saliba SW, Collado JA, Hurrle T, Gräßle S, Muñoz E, Normann C, Hellwig S, Bräse S, Fiebich BL. Functional Selectivity of Coumarin Derivates Acting via GPR55 in Neuroinflammation.  Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Jan 16;23(2):959. doi.org/10.3390/ijms23020959.
• Apweiler M, Saliba SW, Streyczek J, Hurrle T, Gräßle S, Bräse S, Fiebich BL. Targeting Oxidative Stress: Novel Coumarin-Based Inverse Agonists of GPR55. Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Oct 28;22(21):11665. doi.org/10.3390/ijms222111665. PMID: 34769094
• Gellner AK, Reis J, Fiebich BL, Fritsch B. Electrified microglia: Impact of direct current stimulation on diverse properties of the most versatile brain cell. Brain Stimul. 2021 Sep-Oct;14(5):1248-1258. doi.org/10.1016/j.brs.2021.08.007. Epub 2021 Aug 17. PMID: 34411753
• Atanasov AG, Zotchev SB, Dirsch VM.. Fiebich BL,..; International Natural Product Sciences Taskforce, Supuran CT. Natural products in drug discovery: advances and opportunities. Nat Rev Drug Discov. 2021 Jan 28:1-17. doi.org/10.1038/s41573-020-00114-z
• Meixensberger S, Kuzior H, Fiebich BL, Süß P, Runge K, Berger B, Nickel K, Denzel D, Schiele MA, Michel M, Maier S, Bechter K, Domschke K, Tebartz van Elst L, Endres D. Upregulation of sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1 Levels in the Cerebrospinal Fluid of Patients with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders.  Diagnostics (Basel). 2021 Jun 22;11(7):1134. doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics11071134. PMID: 34206599
• Saliba SW , Gläser F, Deckers A, Keil A, Hurrle T, Apweiler M, Ferver F, Volz N, Endres D, Bräse S,   Fiebich BL. Effects of a Novel GPR55 Antagonist on the Arachidonic Acid Cascade in LPS-Activated Primary Microglial Cells. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22, 2503. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22052503
• Michel M, Fiebich BL, Kuzior H, Meixensberger S, Berger B, Maier S, Nickel K, Runge K, Denzel D, Pankratz B, Schiele MA, Domschke K, van Elst LT, Endres D. Increased GFAP concentrations in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with unipolar depression. Transl Psychiatry. 2021 May 21;11(1):308. doi.org/10.1038/s41398-021-01423-6.
• Runge K, Fiebich BL, Kuzior H, Saliba SW, Yousif NM, Meixensberger S, Nickel K, Denzel D, Schiele MA, Maier SJ, Berger B, Dersch R, Domschke K, Tebartz van Elst L, Endres D. An observational study investigating cytokine levels in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Schizophr Res. 2021 May;231:205-213. doi.org/10.1016/j.schres.2021.03.022.  Epub 2021 Apr 19. PMID: 33887648
• Kuzior H, Fiebich BL, Yousif NM, Saliba SW, Ziegler C, Nickel K, Maier SJ, Süß P, Runge K, Matysik M, Dersch R, Berger B, Robinson T, Venhoff N, Kessler F, Blank T, Domschke K, Tebartz van Elst L, Endres D. Increased IL-8 concentrations in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with unipolar depression.  Compr Psychiatry. 2020 Oct;102:152196. doi: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2020.152196. Epub 2020 Aug 12. PMID: 32927367
• Gargouri B, Boukholda K, Kumar A, Benazzouz A, Fetoui H, Bouchard M., Fiebich BL Bifenthrin insecticide promotes oxidative stress and increases inflammatory mediators in human neuroblastoma cells through NF-kappaB pathway. Toxicol In Vitro. 2020 Jun;65:104792. doi.org/10.1016/j.tiv.2020.104792. Epub 2020 Feb 13.
• Saliba SW, Bonifacino T, Serchov T, Bonanno G, de Oliveira ACP, Fiebich BL. Neuroprotective Effect of AM404 Against NMDA-Induced Hippocampal Excitotoxicity. Front Cell Neurosci. 2019 Dec 20;13:566. doi.org/10.3389/fncel.2019.00566. eCollection 2019. PMID: 31920563 Free PMC article.
• Gargouri B, Bouchard M, Saliba SW, Fetoui H, Fiebich BL. Repeated bifenthrin exposure alters hippocampal Nurr-1/AChE and induces depression-like behavior in adult rats. Behav Brain Res. 2019 Sep 16;370:111898. doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2019.04.012. Epub 2019 Apr 9. PMID: 30978409

Funding

• BMWi/AIF: AGEsense: Determination, function, and pharmaclogical intervention of the synthesis of Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs)
• BMBF (TUNGER-36): Cooperation project with the University of Sfax, Tunisia: Mechanism- based approaches for improved health risk assessment of synthetic pyrethroids in the CNSD