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Christian Vægter

PNS neuron-glia interactions in health and disease - implications in Pain and Regenerative Processes 


The peripheral sensory neurons are completely covered by glial cells, with satellite glial cells (SCG) covering the neuronal soma and Schwann cells covering the length of the axon. It is therefore obvious that these glia cells play major roles in how the neurons function, and that diseases affecting the glia have dramatic consequences for the functionality of the neurons. 

Our aim is to understand how peripheral glia cells affect neuronal functionality in health but also following nerve injury, in diseases such as diabetes (diabetic neuropathy), or following treatment of cancer by chemotherapeutics (CIPN). Our research span from molecular biology, cells lines and primary cultures, tissue analysis with confocal and electron microscopy to experiments with mice and rats (microsurgery and behavioral analysis).  

On-going research projects encompass the following topics:

  • PNS injury and disease (traumatic injury, diabetes, chemotherapy, inflammation etc)
  • SGC and Schwann cell response on transcriptional and protein level
  • Schwann cell and SGC communication with axons by exosomes 

 

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