Neuroinflammation
Dr. Vasileia-Ismini Alexaki
Group Leader
Research focus
Chronic inflammatory diseases can be caused by aberrant inflammatory responses of innate immune cells. While macrophages drive peripheral tissue inflammation, microglia, the resident immune cells of the brain, mediate neuroinflammation. Immune responses of both, macrophages and microglia, are governed by cellular metabolic mechanisms. We are exploring metabolic pathways related to the citrate cycle, arginine metabolism and lipid metabolism regulating macrophage and microglial inflammatory responses. Moreover, we investigate how these immunometabolic responses are regulated by adrenal gland-dependent endocrine pathways.
Specific expertise
- Macrophage and microglia-mediated inflammation
- Cellular metabolism (citrate cycle, arginine metabolism, lipid metabolism)
- Adrenal hormones
- Inflammatory mouse models
Funding
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Lab Members
Selected Publications
- Witt A, Mateska I, Palladini A, Sinha A, Wölk M, Harauma A, Bechmann N, Pamporaki C, Dahl A, Rothe M, Kopaliani Adolf C, Riester A, Wielockx B, Bornstein SR, Kroiss M, Peitzsch M, Moriguchi T, Fedorova M, Grzybek M, Chavakis T, MirtschinkP, Alexaki VI. Fatty acid desaturase 2 determines the lipidomic landscape and steroidogenic function of the adrenal gland. (in press in Sci Advances)
Mateska I, Witt A, Hagag E, Sinha A, Yilmaz C, Thanou E, Sun N, Kolliniati O, Patschin M, Abdelmegeed H, Henneicke H, Kanczkowski W, Wielockx B, Tsatsanis C, Dahl A, Walch AK, Li KW, Peitzsch M, Chavakis T, Alexaki VI. Succinate mediates inflammation-induced adrenocortical dysfunction. Elife. 2023 Jul 14;12:e83064. doi: 10.7554/eLife.83064
- Chavakis T, Alexaki VI, Ferrante AW Jr. Macrophage function in adipose tissue homeostasis and metabolic inflammation. Nat Immunol. 2023 May;24(5):757-766. doi: 10.1038/s41590-023-01479-0.
- Yilmaz C, Rogdakis T, Latorrata A, Thanou E, Karadima E, Papadimitriou E, Siapi E, Li KW, Katsila T, Calogeropoulou T, Charalampopoulos I, Alexaki VI. ENT-A010, a Novel Steroid Derivative, Displays Neuroprotective Functions and Modulates Microglial Responses. Biomolecules. 2022 Mar 9;12(3):424. doi: 10.3390/biom12030424.
- Alexaki VI. The Impact of Obesity on Microglial Function: Immune, Metabolic and Endocrine Perspectives. Cells. 2021 Jun 23;10(7):1584. doi: 10.3390/cells10071584.
- Ziogas, A, Maekawa, T, Wiessner, J R, Le, T T, Sprott, D, Troullinaki, M, Neuwirth, A, Anastasopoulou, V, Grossklaus, S, Chung, K J, Sperandio, M, Chavakis, T, Hajishengallis, G and Alexaki, V I. DHEA Inhibits Leukocyte Recruitment through Regulation of the Integrin Antagonist DEL-1. J Immunol204: 1214-1224 (2020)
- Fodelianaki, G, Lansing, F, Bhattarai, P, Troullinaki, M, Zeballos, M A, Charalampopoulos, I, Gravanis, A, Mirtschink, P, Chavakis, T and Alexaki, V I. Nerve Growth Factor modulates LPS - induced microglial glycolysis and inflammatory responses. Exp Cell Res377: 10-16 (2019)
- Yilmaz, C, Karali, K, Fodelianaki, G, Gravanis, A, Chavakis, T, Charalampopoulos, I and Alexaki, V I. Neurosteroids as regulators of neuroinflammation. Front Neuroendocrinol55: 100788 (2019)
- Alexaki, V I, Fodelianaki, G, Neuwirth, A, Mund, C, Kourgiantaki, A, Ieronimaki, E, Lyroni, K, Troullinaki, M, Fujii, C, Kanczkowski, W, Ziogas, A, Peitzsch, M, Grossklaus, S, Sonnichsen, B, Gravanis, A, Bornstein, S R, Charalampopoulos, I, Tsatsanis, C and Chavakis, T. DHEA inhibits acute microglia-mediated inflammation through activation of the TrkA-Akt1/2-CREB-Jmjd3 pathway. Mol Psychiatry23: 1410-1420 (2018)
- Alexaki, V I, May, A E, Fujii, C, SN, V U-S, Mund, C, Gawaz, M, Chavakis, T and Seizer, P. S100A9 induces monocyte/ macrophage migration via EMMPRIN. Thromb Haemost117: 636-639 (2017)
- Alexaki, V I, Notas, G, Pelekanou, V, Kampa, M, Valkanou, M, Theodoropoulos, P, Stathopoulos, E N, Tsapis, A and Castanas, E. Adipocytes as immune cells: differential expression of TWEAK, BAFF, and APRIL and their receptors (Fn14, BAFF-R, TACI, and BCMA) at different stages of normal and pathological adipose tissue development. J Immunol183: 5948-56 (2009)