Flügel, Alexander, Prof. Dr.

1993 MD Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich

2002-2007 Group leader at the Institute of Neuroimmunology, Max-Planck-Institute for Neurobiology, Martinsried, Munich

2008 Associate professor for Experimental Immunology at the Institute for Immunology, LMU Munich

since 12/2008 Full professor and director of the Institute for Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis Research, University of Göttingen

Major Research Interests

Neuroimmunology

T cell biology

Intravital imaging

The focus of my interest lies on the mechanisms and factors that allow T cells to enter the central nervous system, to communicate in this milieu and to influence the brain tissue.
My colleagues and I pursue the following aims, i) development of new models and tools to study CNS autoimmunity; ii) revealing the basics of pathogenesis in (auto-)immune diseases of the nervous system; iii) deducing and developing new therapeutical approaches; and iv) analyzing the mechanisms of action for (adverse) effects of new therapeutical procedures.

Homepage Department/Research Group:

https://neuroimmunologie.umg.eu/

Selected Recent Publications

Merlini A, Haberl M, Strauß J, Hildebrand L, Genc N, Franz J, Chilov D, Alitalo K, Flügel-Koch C, Stadelmann C, Flügel A, Odoardi F (2022) Distinct roles of the meningeal layers in CNS autoimmunity. Nature Neuroscience 25:887-899.

Hosang L, Cugota Canals R, van der Flier FJ, Hollensteiner J, Daniel R, Flügel A* and Odoardi F* (2022) The lung microbiome regulates brain autoimmunity. Nature 603:138-144.

Lodygin D, Hermann M, Schweingruber N, Flügel-Koch C, Watanabe T, Schlosser C, Merlini A, Körner H, Chang H-F, Fischer HJ, Reichardt HM, Zagrebelsky M, Mollenhauer B, Frahm J, Stadelmann C, Kügler S, Fitzner D, Haberl M, Odoardi F, Flügel A (2019) ß-Synuclein reactive T cells induce autoimmune CNS grey matter degeneration: Nature 566:503-508.

Schläger C, Körner H, Krueger M, Vidoli S, Haberl M, Mielke D, Brylla E, Issekutz T, Cabañas C, Nelson PJ, Ziemssen T, Rohde V, Bechmann I, Lodygin D, Odoardi F, Flügel A (2016) Effector T-cell trafficking between the leptomeninges and the cerebrospinal fluid. Nature 530:349-353

Flach A, Litke T, Strauss J, Haberl M, Cordero Gómez C, Reindl M, Saiz A, Fehling HJ, Wienands J, Odoardi F, Lühder F, Flügel A (2016) Autoantibody-boosted T-cell reactivation in the target organ triggers manifestation of autoimmune CNS disease. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 113:3323-3328.