Göttingen Graduate Center for Neurosciences, Biophysics, and Molecular Biosciences

Sereda, Michael Werner, Prof. Dr.


  • 2007 Group leader ”Translational Neurogenetics“, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences
  • 2008 Board certification in Neurology (Facharzt für Neurologie)
  • 2008 Attending Neurologist and Head Neurogenetics Outpatients Clinic, Dept. of Clinical Neurophysiology, University of Göttingen (UMG)
  • 2010 Associate Professorship “Neurology and Neurogenetics” (Habilitation)
  • 2012 DFG-Heisenberg Professorship “Hereditary Neuropathies", Dept. of Clinical Neurophysiology, University of Göttingen, UMG
  • 2017 Tenured Professorship of Neurology, Dept. of Clinical Neurophysiology/Department of Neurology, UMG



Major Research Interests

We pursue a basic research interest in glia cell biology, axon-glia interaction and mechanisms of diseases of the peripheral nervous system (PNS). We have generated a transgenic rat model of the most frequent human neuropathy, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1A (CMT1A). This disease is associated with a partial duplication of chromosome 17 which leads to an overexpression of the tetraspan protein PMP22. Transgenic “CMT rats” expressing additional copies of this gene share characteristic clinical features of the human disease, including muscle weakness, reduced nerve conduction velocities, and marked Schwann cell hypertrophy resulting in onion bulb formation. The CMT rat allows a better understanding of the cellular disease mechanism operating in human CMT1A, and is helpful in the analysis of modifier genes, epigenetic factors, and in the evaluation of experimental treatment strategies. In an attempt to translate findings from the animal model to humans we were able to identify biomarkers of disease severity in the skin of CMT1A patients, which could already be validated in patients from across Europe. Within CMT-NET, a national BMBF funded network on rare diseases coordinated by Prof. Sereda, we aim at transferring our results from skin to easily accessible blood samples from CMT patients, which would facilitate the performance of clinical trials in the near future. In the newly formed German-French consortium CMT-MODs , which is coordinated by Prof. Sereda and supported by the French AFM, we will extend the identification of disease and prognostic biomarkers to young CMT1A patients. These novel diagnostic measures are urgently needed and will make clinical trials in early disease stages (children) possible in order to effectively treat and prevent CMT1A disease. Without effective biomarkers, promising preclinical therapeutic strategies cannot be translated to patients.


Homepage Department/Research Group

https://www.mpinat.mpg.de/de/sereda



Selected Recent Publications

  • Krauter D, Stausberg D, Hartmann TJ, Volkmann S, Kungl T, Saher G, Fledrich, R, Stassart RM, Nave K-A, Göbbels S, Ewers D, Sereda MW. Targeting PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling in rodent models of PMP22 gene-dosage diseases. Accepted in Embo Mol Med. This articles first version was deposited as a preprint on bioRxiv doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.11.08.467756
  • Düking T, Spieth L, Berghoff SA, Piepkorn L, Schmidke AM, Mitkovski M, Kannaiyan N, Hosang L, Scholz P, Shaib AH, Schneider LV, Hesse D, Ruhwedel T, Sun T, Linhoff L, Trevisiol A, Köhler S, Pastor AM, Misgeld T, Sereda M, Hassouna I, Rossner MJ, Odoardi F, Ischebeck T, de Hoz L, Hirrlinger J, Jahn O, Saher G. Ketogenic diet uncovers differential metabolic plasticity of brain cells. Sci Adv. 2022 Sep 16;8(37):eabo7639. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abo7639. Epub 2022 Sep 16. PMID: 36112685; PMCID: PMC9481126.
  • Berghoff S, Spieth L, Sun T, Hosang L, Schlaphoff L, Depp C, Düking T, Winchenbach J, Neuber, Ewers D, Scholz P, Paap F, Cantuti-Castelvetri L, Sasmita A, Meschkat M, Ruhwedel T, Möbius W, Sankowski R, Prinz M, Huitinga I, Sereda MW, Odoardi F, Ischebeck T, Simons M, Dr. Stadelmann C, Edgar J, Nave KA. (2021) Microglia facilitate repair of demyelinated lesions via post-squalene sterol synthesis, Nat Neurosci 24: 47–60. doi: 10.1038/s41593-020-00757-6.
  • Hartmannsberger B, Doppler K, Stauber J, Schlotter-Weigel B, Young P, Sereda MW, Sommer C. Intraepidermal nerve fibre density as biomarker in Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1A. (2020). Brain Communications, Vol 2, Issue 1, fcaa012
  • Siems SB, Jahn O, Eichel MA, Kannaiyan N, Wu LMN, Sherman DL, Kusch K, Hesse D, Jung RB, Fledrich R, Sereda MW, Rossner MJ, Brophy PJ, Werner HB. (2020) Proteome profile of peripheral myelin in healthy mice and in a neuropathy model. Elife. 9. pii: e51406. doi: 10.7554/eLife.51406
  • Joseph S, Vingill S, Jahn O, Fledrich R, Werner HB, Katona I, Möbius W, Mitkovski M, Huang Y, Weis J, Sereda MW, Schulz JB, Nave KA, Stegmüller J. (2019) Myelinating Glia-Specific Deletion of Fbxo7 in Mice Triggers Axonal Degeneration in the Central Nervous System Together with Peripheral Neuropathy. J Neurosci. 39(28):5606-5626. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3094-18.2019. Epub 2019 May 13
  • Fledrich R, Akkermann D, Schütza V, Abdelaal TA, Hermes D, Schäffner E, Soto-Bernardini MC, Götze T, Klink A, Kusch K, Krueger M, Kungl T, Frydrychowicz C, Möbius W, Brück W, Mueller WC, Bechmann I, Sereda MW, Schwab MH, Nave KA, Stassart RM. (2019) NRG1 type I dependent autoparacrine stimulation of Schwann cells in onion bulbs of peripheral neuropathies. Nat Commun. 10(1):1467. doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-09886-4
  • Prukop T, Stenzel J, Wernick S, Kungl T, Mroczek M, Adam J, Ewers D, Nabirotchkin S, Nave KA, Hajj R, Cohen D, Sereda MW. (2019) Early short-term PXT3003 combinational therapy delays disease onset in a transgenic rat model of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease 1A (CMT1A). PLoS One. 16;14(1):e0209752. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0209752. eCollection 2019
  • Fledrich R, Abdelaal T, Rasch L, Bansal V, Schütza V, Brügger B, Lüchtenborg C, Prukop T, Stenzel J, Rahman RU, Hermes D, Ewers D, Möbius W, Ruhwedel T, Katona I, Weis J, Klein D, Martini R, Brück W, Müller WC, Bonn S, Bechmann I, Nave KA, Stassart RM, Sereda MW (2018) Targeting myelin lipid metabolism as a potential therapeutic strategy in a model of CMT1A neuropathy. Nat Commun. 9(1):3025
  • Fledrich R, Mannil M, Leha A, Ehbrecht C, Solari A, Pelayo-Negro AL, Berciano J, Schlotter-Weigel B, Schnizer TJ, Prukop T, Garcia-Angarita N, Czesnik D, Haberlová J, Mazanec R, Paulus W, Beissbarth T, Walter MC, Triaal C, Hogrel JY, Dubourg O, Schenone A, Baets J, De Jonghe P, Shy ME, Horvath R, Pareyson D, Seeman P, Young P, Sereda MW (2017) Biomarkers predict outcome in Charcot- Marie-Tooth disease 1A. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 88, 941-9522
  • Quintes S, Brinkmann BG, Ebert M, Fröb F, Kungl T, Arlt FA, Tarabykin V, Huylebroeck D, Meijer D, Suter U, Wegner M, Sereda MW, Nave KA (2016) Zeb2 is essential for Schwann cell differentiation, myelination and nerve repair. Nat Neurosci.; 19(8):1050-9. doi: 10.1038/nn.4321. Epub 2016 Jun 13
  • Epplen DB, Prukop T, Nientiedt T, Albrecht P, Arlt FA, Stassart RM, Kassmann CM, Methner A, Nave KA, Werner HB, Sereda MW (2015) Curcumin therapy in a Plp1 transgenic mouse model of Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease. Ann Clin Transl Neurol. 2, 787-796
  • Prukop T, Epplen DB, Nientiedt T, Wichert SP, Fledrich R, Stassart RM, Rossner MJ, Edgar JM, Werner HB, Nave KA, Sereda MW (2014) Progesterone Antagonist Therapy in a Pelizaeus-Merzbacher Mouse Model. Am J Hum Genet. 94, 533-546
  • Fledrich R, Stassart RM, Klink A, Rasch LM, Prukop T, Haag L, Czesnik D, Kungl T, Abdelaal TA, Keric N, Stadelmann C, Brück W, Nave KA, Sereda MW (2014) Soluble neuregulin-1 modulates disease pathogenesis in rodent models of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease 1A. Nat Med. 20, 1055-1061
  • Fledrich R, Schlotter-Weigel B, Schnizer TJ, Wichert SP, Stassart RM, Meyer Zu Hörste G, Klink A, Weiss BG, Haag U, Walter MC, Rautenstrauss B, Paulus W, Rossner MJ, Sereda MW (2012) A rat model of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease 1A recapitulates disease variability and supplies biomarkers of axonal loss in patients. Brain 135, 72-87