Expertise and current research performed: The Department of Neuropathology is the neuropathological reference centre for epilepsy surgery in Germany. It collected more than 2800 histopathological specimens for microscopical analysis. Particular emphasis regard the histopathological classification of epilepsy-associated focal lesions, i.e. hippocampal sclerosis, tumours and malformations. Experimental expertise regard underlying pathomechanisms of respective lesions using human brain samples obtained from epilepsy surgery and most modern molecular-biological and –genetical techniques, i.e. microarray analysis, quantitative RT-PCR, Western blotting and mutation analysis. Extensive collaboration is established with German epilepsy centres in Bonn, Berlin, Bielefeld-Bethel and Freiburg. The current research activities of the Neuropathology Department are: 1) Molecular analysis of neurodevelopmentally regulated signalling pathways in epilepsy associated cortical malformations and tumours (sponsored by DFG Bl421/1-1); 2) Molecular Fingerprint of cortical epileptogenesis (sponsored by FAU School of Medicine); 3) Classification and molecular pathogenesis of cortical dysplasia in children with severe epilepsies (sponsored by FAU School of Medicine); 4) Epigenetic mechanisms of adult brain stem cell differentiation (sponsored by Johannes and Frieda Marohn Foundation).

Facilities/Equipment: The Department of Neuropathology is fully equipped to perform histopathological examination (immunohistochemistry, fluorescence microscopy, digital imaging); molecular-biological studies (PCR, SSCP, laser microdissection microscopy), cell culture experiments (organotypic hippocampal slice cultures) as well as an internet based data base for epilepsy surgery (www.epilepsie-register.de).

Personnel involved in the project

Principal investigator: Ingmar Blumcke (M). Prof., Medical Doctor. Chairman for Neuropathology. Training in neuropathology and Epileptology at the University of Bonn Medical Centre (Chair: Prof. Dr. O.D. Wiestler/Prof. Dr. C.E. Elger). Working in the field since 1994. Research interests are: histopathological classification of epilepsy-associated lesions in human brain, molecular neuropathology of focal epileptogenesis, adult brain stem cells, invasion/progression of malignant brain tumors.

Michelle Hildebrandt (F). Medical Doctor. Resident in Neuropathology since 2002. Past position at the Bielefeld-Bethel Clinic for Neurology (Epileptology) Chair: Prof. Pohlmann-Eden. Research interests are: histopathological classification of epilepsy-associated lesions in human brain with particular focus on cortical malformations. Katja Kobow (F). PhD student, MSc. (Biochemistry). Research interests: molecular neuropathology of focal epileptogenesis. Silke Gutmann (F). Technician. Research interests: histopathological classification and immunohistochemical studies in epilepsy-associated lesions in human brain. Working in the field since 2002. A documentary assistant will be hired to retrieve specific data from individual epilepsy centres associated with the consortium. His/her task include: management, documentation, data entry and post-sending of respective tissue specimens. Foreign language knowledge is required.

Recent relevant publications/patents

1.        Hildebrandt, M., Pieper, T., Winkler, P., Kolodziejczyk, D., Holthausen, H., Blumcke, I. (2005) Neuropathological spectrum of cortical dysplasia in children with severe focal epilepsies. Acta Neuropathol 110 1-11.

2.        Majores, M., Blumcke, I., Urbach, H., Meroni, A., Hans, V., Holthausen, H., Elger, C.E., Schramm, J., Galli, C., Spreafico, R., Wiestler, O.D., Becker, A.J. (2005) Distinct allelic variants of TSC1 and TSC2 in epilepsy-associated cortical malformations without balloon cells. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol, 64, 629-637.

3.        Tabatabai, G., Bahr, O., Mohle, R., Eyupoglu, I.Y., Boehmler, A.M., Wischhusen, J., Rieger, J., Blumcke, I., Weller, M., Wick, W. (2005) Lessons from the bone marrow: how malignant glioma cells attract adult haematopoietic progenitor cells. Brain 128, 2200-2211

4.        Luyken, C., Blumcke, I., Fimmers, R., Urbach, H., Wiestler, O.D., Schramm, J. (2004) Supratentorial gangliogliomas: histopathologic grading and tumor recurrence in 184 patients with a median follow-up of 8 years. Cancer 101, 146-155.

5.        Becker, A.J., Chen, J., Zien, A., Sochivko, D., Normann, S., Schramm, J., Elger, C.E., Wiestler, O.D., Blümcke, I. (2003) Correlated stage- and subfield-associated hippocampal gene expression patterns in experimental and human temporal lobe epilepsy. Eur. J. Neurosci. 18, 2792-2802.