Dr. Eric Meyer

          

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Disease associated alterations in angioarchitecture

There is a wide range of disorders associated with alterations of the central and peripheral vascular system. Angiogenesis plays a fundamental role in many normal physiological processes and in a number of pathological conditions including tumor growth, rheumatoid arthritis, ischemic retinopathies, macular degenerations and chronic asthma. More recently, neurodegenerative diseases other than vascular dementia or stroke, have been associated with vascular alterations. Reduced blood flow has been reported as a consistent physiological deficit in later stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and also might be an important factor in mental illness. Recent reports suggest significant regional blood flow changes in schizophrenia, depression and bipolar disorder as well.          

In a joint international effort we are in the process of implementing techniques that allow us to study the architecture and morphology of the vasculature, including microvessels and capillaries. They will allow us to assess the vascular pattern in normal and pathological tissue and determine the three dimensional architecture in tissue and organs. We will be able to characterize veins and arteries, endothelial cell shape, size, connectivity, including the integrity of the blood brain barrier. In our current research we use the APP23 transgenic mouse model for Alzheimer’s disease.


In our vascular research the following techniques are used: TEM and SEM as well as microCT and synchrotron radiation microCT.

Some questions are:

  • What is the order of events in the pathological changes of brain vasculature in the AD model?
  • How can we study the vascular density in tumors after different drug treatment?

And some further themes: Arthritis, ALS (Amyotrophic Latreral Sclerosis), Arteriosclerosis.