Göttingen Graduate Center for Neurosciences, Biophysics, and Molecular Biosciences

Wirths, Oliver, Prof. Dr.


  • 1994 - 1999 Diploma in Biology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
  • 1999 - 2003 Ph.D. at University of Bonn and Catholic University Leuven
  • 2003 - 2004 Post-Doctoral fellow at Saarland University, Homburg
  • 2004 - 2006 Research Assistant at Saarland University, Homburg
  • Since 2006 Laboratory head and project leader at the Molecular Psychiatry lab, University Medical Center Göttingen
  • 2012 Habilitation (Venia legendi) in Molecular Neurosciences, University Medical Center Göttingen
  • Since 2017 Apl. Professorship, University Medical Center Göttingen



Major Research Interests

Our group is interested in the molecular mechanisms that are underlying neurodegenerative disorders, in particular Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We utilize a variety of neuropathological, molecular biology and biochemical methods. We further use mouse models of AD to investigate the relationship between learning- and memory deficits and associated pathological alterations in the brain.

Current projects include


  • The role of physical activity in the development of Alzheimer’s disease
  • Role of N-terminally modified Abeta peptides in Alzheimer’s disease
  • Role of signal transduction cascades and neuroinflammation in Alzheimer’s disease




Homepage Department/Research Group

https://psychiatrie.umg.eu/forschung/forschungsgruppen/molekulare-mechanismen-der-neurodegeneration/

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Oliver_Wirths



Selected Recent Publications


  • Kaji S., Berghoff S.A., Spieth L., Sasmita A.O., Büschgens L., Kedia S., Schlapphoff L., Zirngibl M., Nazarenko T., Damkou A., Vitale S., Hosang L., Depp C., Kamp F., Scholz P., Ewers D., Ischebeck T., Wurst W., Wefers B., Schifferer M., Willem M., Nave K.-A., Haass C., Arzberger T., Jäkel S., Wirths O., Saher G., Simons M. (2024) Apolipoprotein E aggregation in microglia initiates Alzheimer’s disease pathology by seeding beta-amyloidosis. Immunity, 57: 2651-2668

  • Sasmita A.O., Depp C., Nazarenko T., Sun T., Siems S.B., Ong E.C., Nkeh Y.B., Boehler C., Yu X., Bues B., Evangelista L., Mao S., Morgado B., Wu Z., Ruhwedel T., Subramanian S., Börensen F., Overhoff K., Spieth L., Berghoff S.A., Sadleir K.R., Vassar R., Eggert S., Goebbels S., Saito T., Saido T., Saher G., Möbius W., Castelo-Branco G., Klafki H.W., Wirths O., Wiltfang J., Jäkel S., Yan R., Nave K.A. (2024) Oligodendrocytes produce amyloid-beta and contribute to plaque formation alongside neurons in Alzheimer’s disease model mice. Nature Neuroscience, 27: 1668-1674

  • Depp C., Sun T., Sasmita A.O., Spieth L., Berghoff S.A., Nazarenko T., Overhoff K., Steixner-Kumar A.A., Subramanian S., Arinrad S., Ruhwedel T., Möbius W., Göbbels S., Saher G., Werner H.B., Damkou A., Zampar S., Wirths O., Thalmann M., Simons M., Saito T., Saido T., Krueger-Burg D., Kawaguchi R., Willem M., Haass C., Geschwind D., Ehrenreich H., Stassart R., Nave K.-A. (2023) Myelin dysfunction drives amyloid deposition in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease. Nature, 613: 349-357

  • Kettwig M., Ternka K., Wendland K., Krüger D.M., Zampar S., Schob C., Winkler A., Aich A., Sakib M.S., Kaurani L., Epple R., Werner H.B., Hakroush S., Kitz J., Prinz M., Bartok E., Hartmann G., Schröder S., Rehling P., Henneke S., Boretius S., Alia A., Wirths O., Fischer A., Stadelmann C., Nessler S., Gärtner J. (2021) Interferon-driven brain phenotype in a mouse model of RNAseT2 deficient leucoencephalopathy. Nature Communications, 12: 6530

  • Aichholzer F., Klafki H.W., Ogorek I., Vogelgsang J., Wiltfang J., Scherbaum N., Weggen S., Wirths O. (2021) Evaluation of cerebrospinal fluid glycoprotein NMB (GPNMB) as a potential biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy, 13: 94

  • Walter S., Jumpertz T., Hüttenrauch M., Ogorek I., Gerber H., Storck S.E., Zampar S., Dimitrov M., Lehmann S., Lepka C., Berndt C., Wiltfang J., Becker-Pauly C., Beher D., Pietrzik C.U., Fraering P., Wirths O.*. and Weggen S*. (2019) The metalloprotease ADAMTS4 generates N-truncated Aβ4-x peptides and marks oligodendrocytes as a pro-amyloidogenic cell lineage in Alzheimer’s disease. Acta Neuropathologica, 137(2): 239-257 (*corresponding authors)

  • Hüttenrauch M., Ogorek I., Klafki H.W., Otto M., Stadelmann-Nessler C., Weggen S., Wiltfang J. Wirths O. (2018) Glycoprotein NMB: a novel Alzheimer’s disease associated marker expressed in a subset of activated microglia. Acta Neuropathologica Communications, 6(1):108

  • Wirths O., Walter S., Kraus I., Klafki H.W., Oberstein T., Ghiso J., Wiltfang J., Bayer T.A., Weggen S. (2017) N-truncated Aβ4-x peptides in sporadic Alzheimer's disease cases and transgenic Alzheimer mouse models. Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy, 9: 80