New study on balancing synaptic strength in Nature Communications
This multidisciplinary work led by Marieke Meijer (Amsterdam UMC - FGA) describes how tomosyns limit synaptic strength at rest to equalize synaptic transmission during activity.
News FGA
New disease concept for STXBP1 disorder and disease prediction tool
A collaboration between CNCR-FGA and University of Heidelberg shows that protein instability is the generalizable, primary cause. A new prediction tool outperforms all existing predictors. The paper is out now in Biological Psychiatry.
New disease mechanism discovered for SYT1-associated disorder
Neurotransmitter release is less synchronized in SYT1-associated disorder, according to a new study from the Cornelisse lab.
SynGO consortium releases version 1.2 with 30% more genes
The SynGO consortium, consisting of >20 expert labs worldwide and coordinated by CNCR, brings together scientific knowledge about synapses & provides online analysis tools. Their new release contains >1600 annotated synaptic genes.
ESCO consortium takes off with new funding and EMA application
The European STXBP1 COnsortium (ESCO, www.stxbp1eu.org) was established in 2021 with eight partner countries in the EU, coordinated by VU/AUMC. All partners have now signed the consortium agreement and ESCO secured its 1st funding.
New study on Axon Initial Segment plasticity in Science Advances
A new study led by Amelie Freal (FGA) describes mechanisms controlling Axon Initial Segment plasticity, revealing distinct and dynamic pools of sodium channels that adjust neuronal excitability
ERC Starting Grant for Amélie Freal
Amélie Freal (FGA) was awarded an ERC Starting Grant by the European Union for the “PLaisTICITY” project to investigate mechanisms underlying Axon Initial Segment plasticity
ZonMW Dementia Fellowship for Kim de Kleijn
Kim de Kleijn (The Candidate Center/AUMC/FGA) received the ZonMW Dementia Fellowship (3 years) to set-up an independent research line to study the TREM receptor family and its relevance for microglia functioning in context of Alzheimer’s disease.
VENI grant for Femke Feringa
Femke Feringa (FGA) received a ZonMW VENI grant to develop her independent research line on how the Alzheimer risk mutation APOE4 contributes to senescence (cell aging) in human astrocytes generated from induced pluripotent stem cells.
Kim Wolzak receives Top Paper Award 2023 at DNM
During the Dutch Neuroscience Meeting, Kim Wolzak, PhD student in Wiep Scheper’s research group, received the Top Paper Award 2023 from the Neurofederation.
CNCR co-hosts 1st European STXBP1 Summit in Milan
The STXBP1 team (FGA) joined 150 other researchers, healthcare professionals, industry representatives, and patient families and -advocates from all over the world for the first European meeting fully dedicated to STXBP1
Wiep Scheper receives NWO funding to study lysosomal dysfunction
The Dutch Research Council (NWO) has awarded an ENW-M2 open competition grant of 730 k€ to CNCR researcher Wiep Scheper (PI team) to study the role of de-ubiquitinating enzymes in tau-induced dysfunction of the neuronal auto- and endo-lysosomal system. In this multidisciplinary project Scheper PI of the Molecular Neurodegeneration group teams up with ubiquitin signalling expert Aysegul Sapmaz (LUMC, Leiden).
Max Koppers joins CNCR and starts new team on mRNA trafficking
Max will start at FGA on March 1st, building a team aimed at understanding the molecular mechanisms and functional relevance of mRNA trafficking and local translation in neuronal subcellular compartments in health and disease.
CNCR joins TARGET ALS consortium to restore Stathmin2 expression
Irune Guerra San Juan and Matthijs Verhage (FGA) became partners in an international consortium that designs and tests oligonucleotides to suppress poison exon insertion and restore full length Stathmin 2 expression in sporadic ALS
CNCR researcher receives grant from the EU joint program
Van der Kant and the VU Medical Center receive funding for unravelling the associative link between exercise and lipid metabolism in prevention against Alzheimer.
Optimizing study designs for iPSC-based disease modelling
In a study published in Molecular Psychiatry, Jessie Brunner, Hanna Lammertse and Annemiek van Berkel (FGA) teamed up with Sophie van der Sluis (CTG) and the proteomics facility (MCN) to optimize statistical power for iPSC-based study designs.
The Axon Initial Segment Biology team is live!
Amelie Freal, head of the team, joined CNCR earlier this year and is developing an independent research program on axon initial segment biology at FGA.
PreSSAD awarded, will study early presynaptic AD biomarkers
The PreSSAD consortium of 6 EU partners incl. CNCR (Matthijs Verhage, FGA) was awarded (JPND/Memorabel, pre-diagnosis disturbances in neurodevelopmental disorders) and will start Nov 1st with IPSC-based models of presynaptic degeneration
Three CNCR TenureTrackers rewarded permanent employment contract
The performance of CNCR researchers Rachel Brouwer, Loek van der Kallen and Mahesh Karnani has been evaluated positively and we are happy to announce that they are rewarded a permanent employment contract.
Three CNCR researchers each awarded a VIDI grant
Rik van der Kant, Natalia Goriounova and Priyanka Rao-Ruiz, researchers at the Center for Neurogenomics & Cognitive Research at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, have been awarded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO) with a Vidi grant worth 800,000 euros.
Novel insights into neuronal resilience to proteostatic stress
A new study by Kim Wolzak and colleagues from the team of Wiep Scheper reveals how neurons shift their translational control to ensure proteostatic resilience during ER stress. The study was published in The EMBO Journal.
Million dollar bike ride: teams raise more than 20.000 euro
On Saturday 11th of June we successfully biked the Dutch-Belgian million dollar bike ride, a fundraising event to raise money for research towards STXBP1-Encephalopathy!
Belgian & Dutch STXBP1 labs bike to raise money for research
We bike together to raise money for research towards new treatments for the rare disorder STXBP1 Encephalopathy!
Biggest study so far implicates synaptic genes in schizophrenia
An international consortium analysed DNA from more than 300,000 people with and without the disorder. The SYNGO consortium, coordinated by CNCR, performed the analyses of synaptic genes. The study is published in Nature on April 11th
SFARI director’s award for SYNGO
Guus Smit and Matthijs Verhage obtained funding to coordinate expert annotation of the synaptic protein interactome, with the goal to curate protein-protein interactions implicated in autism.
New study on neuropathies upon loss of TDP43-regulated RNA Stmn2
Irune Guerra San Juan (FGA) & team show neuropathies may develop in ALS patients when a poison exon in Stmn2 mRNA is not excised due to TDP43 dysfunction. The study is a collaboration with Harvard University published in Neuron on March 15th
SYNGO2 starts with new 2 year support from The Broad Institute
The SYNGO consortium, coordinated by CNCR, enters a new phase to annotate/curate protein-protein interactions in the synapse with two more years of funding for the Amsterdam office.
CNCR STXBP1 team wins social media challenge
This February, the Orphan Disease Center challenged researchers worldwide to share social media posts about the rare disease they are working on . The three most creative and popular posts were selected as winners on Feb.28th, Rare Disease Day 2022. The CNCR STXBP1 team is one of the winners
BRAINMODEL: precision medicine for brain disorders
New consortium consisting of researchers from six Dutch knowledge institutions, coordinated by the CNCR and Radboud UMC, has been awarded with a grant of 4 million euros from ZonMW, to develop new research methods to improve treatment for neurodevelopmental disorders.
Wiep Scheper featured in Brainwave podcast
Wiep Scheper talks about her research to Alzheimer’s in the latest podcast of Brainwave, listen to it here!
How dynamin organizes neuropeptide release sites
Alessandro Moro (CNCR-FGA) and colleagues identified the endocytic protein dynamin as a central regulator for neuromodulator secretion from dense core vesicles in mammalian neurons. This study is now published in Science Advances.
UCB and CNCR join forces targeting genetic epilepsy syndromes
The global biopharmaceutical company UCB and an FGA team led by Ruud Toonen signed a 700k€ contract for joint research to develop new treatment strategies for genetic epilepsy syndromes.
New study on how calcium triggers neuropeptide secretion
Rhodé van Westen (CNCR-FGA) and colleagues identify Synaptotagmin-1 and Synaptotagmin-7 as redundant calcium sensors for neuromodulator secretion from dense core vesicles in mammalian neurons. This study is published in PNAS on April 28th.
FGA is recruiting a new assistant professor (Tenure Track)
CNCR/FGA is seeking applications for an Assistant Professor in RNA Biology and application in neuroscience, who will develop an independent research program to explore new directions in translation regulation, RNA stability or –transport.
Break-through method for microorganism analysis
The EM core facility at the VU campus has applied their long-standing experience of monolayer ultrastructural analysis to a different field, the analysis of mircoogranisms such as bacteria.
KNAW Wetenschapscommunicatie award voor team Wiep Scheper
De “outreach” activiteiten van het team Molecular Neurodegeneration van Wiep Scheper zijn beloond door de KNAW met de toekenning van een award van het pilotfonds ‘Wetenschapscommunicatie door wetenschappers: Gewaardeerd’!
Claudia Persoon receives NWO Take-off grant for valorisation
With this take-off grant Claudia Persoon will investigate the commercial potential of the human neuron cell models and imaging techniques developed at Amsterdam UMC and VU University in search of new treatments for brain disorders.
First SNAREopathy treatment started in new N=YOU Center
a young patient who carries a SYT1 mutation is the first to receive a mechanism-based treatment with the prescription of bumetanide, aiming to reverse excitation/inhibition disturbance
Chang Zuckerberg Initiative Grant for human Neurolipid atlas
A collaboration between the group of Rik van der Kant (FGA) and Martin Giera (LUMC) has been selected for funding by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Neurodegeneration Network. In the first phase of their project, the researchers will receive $150.000 to establish an atlas of the human lipidome in iPSC-derived neurons, astrocytes and microglia in controls and subjects with mutations associated with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
ERC-PoC grant to spin out therapy design using human neurons
Claudia Persoon and Matthijs Verhage developed new preclinical screening assays using functional, mature human neurons and CRISPR-Cas9 technology, to promote identification of promising treatment strategies for brain disorders.
SNAREopathies: new syndrome classification based on mechanism
A position paper by Verhage & Sorensen published in Neuron on June 19 proposes to unify syndromes caused by mutations in eight core components of the synaptic secretion machinery, based on common etiology and mechanism
Lill Eva Johansen receives Alzheimer Nederland fellowship
Alzheimer Nederland awarded a €65 000 fellowship to Lill Eva Johansen for research on the effect of Abca7 mutations associated with Alzheimer’s disease. The work will be performed in human brain cells derived from stem cells that are gene edited using CRISPR technology.
Joint CNCR/Swiss high-throughput STXBP1 screen receives funding
The STXBP1 team of FGA obtained funding from the 2019 Million Dollar Bike Ride event, organized by the Orphan Disease Center in the US, for a high throughput screen to identify new therapeutic interventions for STXBP1 patients.
First homozygous STXBP1 patients carry gain-of-function variant
Researchers at CNCR-FGA and two Italian institutes describe the first two patients with a homozygous STXBP1 mutation. Opposite to known mutations, this mutation increases synaptic transmission. The study is published in the leading journal Brain.
Essential molecules for neuromodulator secretion identified
Claudia Persoon (CNCR-FGA) and colleagues identified RAB3 and RIM1/2 as essential factors for neuromodulator secretion from dense core vesicles in mammalian neurons. This study is now published in Neuron.
Lundbeck foundation funds €2,5M program on human SNARE mutations
The program by Matthijs Verhage (FGA) and long-term collaborator Jakob Sorensen will systematically compare synaptic defects, EEG biomarkers and cognitive deficits between patients and mouse models
CNCR organizes Royal Academy colloquium
CNCR organized, together with new UMCA professor Hilgo Bruining, a colloquium at the Royal Academy bringing together world leaders to discuss neurodevelopmental disorders and science-based intervention for individual patients.
Novel insight into the biology of granulovacuolar degeneration
A study performed by PhD student Vera Wiersma (FGA), from the team of Wiep Scheper, and colleagues reveals that neurons develop granulovacuolar degeneration bodies in response to tau pathology. This collaborative effort was published in Acta Neuropathologica.
Marieke Meijer receives VENI grant
NWO has awarded Dr. Marieke Meijer (FGA) with a Veni grant of 250.000 euro to conduct her research on synaptic dysfunction in neurodevelopmental disorders
New study on synapse development published in EMBO J
In this study Marinka Brouwer (FGA) shows that adhesion molecule SALM1 binds an intracellular protein complex via one domain and organizes synapse development via another. The study was a collaboration between FGA and MCN.