Scientific Focus
At our Translational Neurosurgery Laboratory, we are dedicated to advancing the understanding and treatment of neurosurgically relevant diseases. As part of the Neurosurgery Clinic at the University Clinic Frankfurt, our team bridges basic science and clinical practice to explore innovative solutions to complex neurological challenges.
Our laboratory is committed to:
- Conducting cutting-edge research on neurosurgically relevant diseases, such as brain metastases, glioblastomas, and neurovascular disorders.
- Translating insights from bench to bedside—and vice versa—to ensure our findings directly inform and improve clinical outcomes.
- Leveraging advanced microscopical techniques to analyze the brain at both cellular and system levels.
- Deepening the understanding of disease processes to uncover new therapeutic targets and strategies using advanced high dimensional cellular expression analysis.
Methods
In our interdisciplinary environment, we focus on:
- Disease Exploration: Investigating the underlying mechanisms of neurological diseases with clinical relevance.
- Advanced Imaging: Employing state-of-the-art microscopical techniques, including key methods, e.g., confocal microscopy, two photon microscopy, and wide field imaging to examine the brain in unprecedented detail.
- Translation to Therapy: Working closely with clinical teams to bring research discoveries into practice while using clinical observations to guide our laboratory investigations.
Our goal is to unravel the complexities of the brain and its diseases, contributing to the development of novel, effective neurosurgical intervention
Selected Publications
Broggini T, Duckworth J, Ji X, Liu R, Xia X, Mächler P, Shaked I, Munting LP, Iyengar S, Kotlikoff M, van Veluw SJ, Vergassola M, Mishne G, Kleinfeld D. (2024) Long-wavelength traveling waves of vasomotion modulate the perfusion of cortex. Neuron. PMID: 38781972
Yao P, Liu R, Broggini T, Thunemann M, Kleinfeld D. (2023) Construction and use of an adaptive optics two-photon microscope with direct wavefront sensing. Nat Protoc. 2023 Nov 1. doi: 10.1038/s41596-023-00893-w. Online ahead of print. PMID: 37914781
Piffko A*, Broggini T*, Harms C, Adams RH, Vajkoczy P, Czabanka M (2021) Ligand-Dependent and Ligand-Independent Effects of Ephrin-B2-EphB4 Signaling in Melanoma Metastatic Spine Disease. Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Jul 27;22(15):8028. doi: 10.3390/ijms22158028. * contributed equally
Broggini T, Andras Piffko, Hoffman C, Ghori A, Harms C, Adams RH, Vajkoczy P, Czabanka M (2020) Ephrin-B2–EphB4 communication mediates tumor–endothelial cell interactions during hematogenous spread to spinal bone in a melanoma metastasis model. Oncogene 2020 Nov;39(47):7063-7075. doi: 10.1038/s41388-020-01473-y.
Broggini T, Wüstner M, Harms C, Stange L, Blaes J, Thomé C, Harms U, Mueller S, Weiler M, Wick W, Vajkoczy P, Czabanka M (2016) NDRG1 overexpressing glioma are characterized by reduced tumor vascularisation and resistance to antiangiogenic treatment. Cancer Lett. 2016 Oct 1;380(2):568-76. doi: 10.1016/j.canlet.2015.06.026.