Understanding Skull Meningeal Connections in Neuroinflammatory Disorders through Scale-bridging Multimodal Imaging.

• Applicants: Professorin Dr.-Ing. Silke Christiansen; Professor Dr. Gerd Meyer zu Hörste
• Subject Area: Molecular and Cellular Neurology and Neuropathology ; Medical Physics, Biomedical Technology
• Term: since 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 560044314

The "MC-Multi" project, led by Prof. Dr. med. Meyer zu Hörste and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Silke H. Christiansen, focuses on elucidating the skull meningeal connections crucial for the pathology of major neuroinflammatory diseases like Multiple Sclerosis and Alzheimer's. It aims to harness advanced, interdisciplinary techniques to explore these connections at unprecedented scales, providing new insights into their roles in disease progression and potentially unveiling novel therapeutic avenues. Central to the project is the innovative use of high-resolution imaging methods such as x-ray microscopy (XRM) and focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) to visualize the complex interactions within the cranial vault down to the cellular level. These efforts are complemented by sophisticated spectroscopic analyses that help characterize the biochemical landscape of neurological disorders. One of the project's key objectives is to determine how the structure and number of skull channels, which connect the bone marrow to the meninges, are affected by chronic meningeal inflammation—a factor in many brain diseases. This involves detailed 3D imaging and molecular analyses, aiming to link structural changes with disease processes, thus providing a clearer picture of the onset and development of neurological disorders. Additionally, the project leverages a powerful data platform, 'XamFlow', to integrate and analyze the vast amounts of data generated. This platform facilitates the correlation of multimodal data sets, enhancing the ability to derive meaningful conclusions from complex biological signals. The 'XamFlow' platform and workflow engine play a crucial role in the project. They support the assessment, quantification, comparison, evaluation, storage, and visualization of data. The platform's ability to perform correlative analysis is enhanced by incorporating statistical evaluations and utilizing machine learning algorithms for data segmentation and quantification. Prof. Christiansen's expertise in scale-bridging microscopy and spectroscopy and Prof. zu Hörste's clinical insights create a formidable team that not only pushes the boundaries of medical imaging but also aims at translating these findings into clinical settings, potentially revolutionizing the diagnosis and treatment of debilitating brain diseases. The project underscores the critical role of interdisciplinary approaches in tackling the complexities of neuroimmunological health, setting a new standard for studies in this field.

• DFG Programme: Reinhart Koselleck Projects