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www.uniklinik-duesseldorf.de/neuropathologie

Neuropathology deals with diseases of the nervous system and the skeletal muscles. The Department of Neuropathology at the University Clinic Duesseldorf performs a variety of tasks that focus on two main areas: (1) the neuropathological diagnostics of diseases of the central, peripheral, and autonomous nervous system as well as the skeletal muscles; (2) research on the pathogenesis of these diseases to improve their diagnostic assessment and identify novel therapeutic approaches.

The Department of Neuropathology at the University Clinic Duesseldorf is one of the largest neuropathological institutions in Germany. It was founded in 1977 with the appointment of Prof. Dr. W. Wechsler as the first director and chair of the Department. Since October of 2000, Prof. Dr. Guido Reifenberger is the head of the department.

The Department has the knowledge and requisite technical equipment needed to employ the entire spectrum of modern diagnostic methods in neuropathology. The scope of diagnostics includes inflammatory, infectious, degenerative, vascular and neoplastic diseases of the nervous system and skeletal muscles. Scientific projects performed at the department focus on basic research in the origin and development of diseases of the brain, in particular brain tumors, neurodegenerative disorders and infectious diseases of the central nervous system.

Patient care

Within the scope of patient care, the Department employs all current cytological and histological diagnostic techniques. These include specialized methods such as sophisticated neurohistological staining techniques, enzyme histochemical methods, immunohistochemistry, semithin-section technique, electron microscopy, and modern molecular biological techniques.

The Department investigates biopsy specimens of tumors and non-neoplastic diseases of the central and peripheral nervous systems as well as the adjacent soft tissue and bone, stereotactic brain biopsies, skeletomuscular biopsies, biopsies of peripheral nerves, vascular biopsies, skin biopsies, sedimented white blood cells (so-called buffy coats) and CSF specimens. In addition, autoptic investigations of the brain and spinal cord, as well as peripheral nerves and skeletal muscles are performed.

In addition to histological and immunohistochemical procedures for the diagnosis of brain tumors, the Institute for Neuropathology also offers new molecular biological testing methods, which allow for a more accurate prediction of the effectiveness of chemotherapy and the prognosis of certain types of brain tumors, in particular oligodendrogliomas (1p/19q-test) and glioblastomas (test for MGMT promoter methylation).

Another core element at the Department is the neuropathological diagnosis of neuromuscular diseases. In this capacity, the Institute serves the University Clinic Duesseldorf and numerous other clinics within a large cross-regional area. This duty is performed in close cooperation with the Muscle Center Nordrhein of the “Deutsche Gesellschaft zur Bekämpfung der Muskelkrankheiten” (DGM).

Research and teaching

Scientific research at the Department of Neuropathology is focused on the molecular pathogenesis of primary diseases of the nervous system. The research concentrates on the study of brain tumors, diseases of the central nervous system caused by infectious proteins (spongiform encephalopathies, prion diseases), AIDS-induced brain damage (HIV encephalopathy), as well as the consequences of viral inflammation of the brain (Borna encephalitis). Current brain tumor and prion research also emphasizes new molecular diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.

The primary objective of the various research projects pursued at the Department is to increase our understanding of the molecular principles underlying neoplastic, inflammatory, and degenerative diseases of the nervous system and to identify novel approaches for improved diagnostics and therapy for these serious disorders, most of which, unfortunately, are still incurable. The Department has the modern scientific laboratories required for the molecular biological, cell biological, protein chemical, immunohistological, and histomorphological research work that is needed to accomplish this objective. Laboratory facilities include gene laboratories with safety class S1 and S2, an isotope laboratory, a cell culture laboratory, and laboratories for molecular biological, immunohistological and electron microscopical work.

The research projects that are currently in progress at the Department involve, among other things, the evaluation of DNA chips for the molecular diagnostics of brain tumors, the identification of molecular genetic changes in brain tumors in children and adults, the development of medication therapy approaches for prion diseases (such as for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and BSE), and the detection of specific neurotransmitter changes in the basal ganglia in HIV encephalopathy as well as in the corresponding animal model system of SIV encephalopathy.

These projects receive external funding from diverse third-party resources, such as the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (the German Research Cooperative), the Deutsche Krebshilfe (German Cancer Aid), the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (Federal Ministry for Education and Research) as well as the Volkswagen Foundation.

Curriculum Vitae Guido Reifenberger, M.D., Ph.D.

1981 - 1987:	Study of Human Medicine at the Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf and the University of London, United Kingdom
1988:	Research  visits at the University of Connecticut Health Center, Hartford, USA, and the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
1988 - 1992:	Resident doctor at the Department of Neuropathology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf
1991:	M.D. degree (Dr. med.) from the Faculty of Medicine, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf
1992:	Award for the best medical thesis of 1991
1992-1994:	Guest scientist at the Department of Pathology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
1994:	Board examination in Neuropathology
1995:	Habilitation and Venia legendi in Neuropathology, Faculty of Medicine, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf
1996:	Ph.D. in Medical Sciences, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
1997:	Schäfersnolte-Award for Cancer Research
1997:	Associate Professor of Molecular Neuro-Oncology, Department of  Neuropathology, University of Bonn Medical Center
2000:	Full Professor of Neuropathology and Chair, Department of Neuropathology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf
2001	Karl-Böhmer-Award for Cancer Research
since 2002	Speaker of the DFG Neuroscience Research Training Group (GK 320) at the Heinrich-Heine-University
	The scientific activities of Prof. Reifenberger are primarily concerning brain tumor research. He is particularly interested in the molecular alterations that lead to cancer of the nervous system as well as in the identification of novel diagnostic and prognostic markers for brain tumors.
	Prof. Reifenberger is a member of the editorial boards of several scientific journals, including Acta Neuropathologica, Brain Pathology, The International Journal of Cancer, Neurogenetics and Neurooncology. His publication record comprises more than 100 original papers in international scientific journals as well as 3 monographies and many book chapters.
	Since October 2000, Professor Reifenberger serves as the director of the Department of Neuropathology at Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf.