The Institute of Molecular Regenerative Medicine was founded in November 2008 by the governor Gabi Burgstaller within the framework of an endowment professorship chair.

Our research is focused on stem cell-based brain regeneration and the plasticity mechanisms, especially with respect to the ageing, neuro-degeneration and demyelinating diseases. Our goal is to generate new neurons for the central nervous system, which functionally integrate themselves, or to modify existing neuronal circuits in such a way that the loss of nerve cells caused by old age or a neurodegenerative disease could be counteracted. Along with the new generation of nerve cells, we would like also to restore their function, for example in the case when the damaged myelin is repaired with new "oligodendrocytes". In order to find new therapy possibilities for better regeneration of the nervous system, we are researching intensively signal molecules and mechanisms which influence the neurogenesis and develop strategies for impeding the damaging processes.

In addition to our scientific research activities, we would like to establish the main research topic of "regenerative medicine" as a fixed component within out university and in the research landscape of Salzburg. A milestone in this respect is the founding of the Cross-sectional and Tissue Regeneration Centre Salzburg (SCI-TReCS) within Paracelsus Medical Private University. The establishment of new research methods, the coordination and networking of the research groups – always in view of the best well-being of the patients – is and remains our priority concern. We are very thankful for any support we can receive for the realisation of our goals – be it of public, private, business or personal nature!  

Demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system and remyelinating

In the main research priority of demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system and remyelinating, we focus on molecular and cellular therapy developments in the area of multiple sclerosis with the following projects:

• Mesenchymal stem cells and remyelinating (Francisco Rivera, in close cooperation with Eva Rohde, transfusion medicine, and with Eugen Trinka, neurology)
  
  
• The vascular niche of the central nervous system in the centre of the ZNS regeneration (Francisco Rivera and Simona Lange, in cooperation with Cambridge, UK, and with Karolinska, Stockholm)

Ageing and neurodegenerative diseases

In the area of ageing and neurodegenerative diseases, our goal is to reactivate the regeneration capability of the brain. The following projects are in the focus:

• The role of TGF-beta in neurodegenerative diseases and TGF-beta blockade as therapeutic application for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and spinal paralysis (Ludwig Aigner and Julia Marschallinger, in cooperation with Ulrich Bogdahn, Regensburg university, and Mahesh Kandasamy, Bharathidasan University, India)
  
  
• The role of the leukotrienes in neurodegenerative diseases and leukotriene blockade as therapeutic application in dementias and Parkinson disease (Julia Marschallinger, in cooperation with Maria Pia Abbracchio, Universität of Milan, Eliezer Masliah, University of California Sand Diego, Tony Wyss-Coray, Stanford University)
  
  
• Cellular plasticity in Alzheimer disease: Mechanisms and base for cell therapy (Michael Unger and Julia Marschallinger, in cooperation with Michael Heneka, University of Bonn, Annemie van der Linden, University of Antwerpen, Eliezer Masliah, University of California Sand Diego)

A joint connective link between the degeneration and regeneration in the brain and the spinal cord is the neuro-inflammation, in particular the microglia. These cells appear in various activities and contribute insofar both to degeneration, but also to regeneration. The following projects are in the foreground:

• Clarification of the identity of the different microglias and the development of new microglia markers (Barbara Klein, Heike Mrowetz, in cooperation with INMIND consortium)
  
  
• Neuro-inflammation in the case of allergic reactions – a connective link to the change in the brain (Barbara Klein, in cooperation with Josef Thalhamer and Richard Weiss, PLUS Salzburg)

We research the neuronal communication at cellular and network level. During this, we discover, on the one hand, new cellular sources of regeneration in the central nervous system and, on the other hand, we research how the systemic factors from the blood and the liquor (the cerebrospinal fluid) affect the activity of the nerve cells.

• The immature cells as a new source of ZNS regeneration (Richard König, in cooperation with Sébastien Couillard-Després, Experimental Neuro-regeneration)
• Effect of systemic factors on the neuronal network activity (Sebastian Illes, in cooperation with Eric Hanse und Henrik Zetterberg, Götheborg).