Ernest Arenas

Group members:
Ernest Arenas, group leader
Linda Adlerz, postdoc
Lukas Cajanek, PhD stud
Alejandro Erices, postdoc
Magda Forsberg
Lottie Jansson-Sjöstrand, labtech
Isabel Liste, postdoc
Catarina Oliveira, PhD stud
Diogo Ribeiro, PhD stud
Paola Sacchetti, postdoc
Carmen Salto, researcher
Johnny Söderlund, labtech
Spyridon Theofilopoulos, postdoc
Carlos Villaescusa, postdoc

ERNEST ARENAS
Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics (MBB)
Ernest.Arenas@ki.se

Research focus:

1) Midbrain dopaminergic neuron development. We are interested in the control and regulation of the specification, neurogenesis and dopaminergic differentiation by transcription and secreted factors. Particular attention is paid to the identification of novel secreted factors and the function of known secreted factors such as Wnts, their receptors, their signaling pathways and transcriptional control. Postdoctoral position available in this area

2) Fundamental aspects of Wnt signaling. How does Dishevelled transmit canonical versus non-canonical Wnt signals? Is there an interaction or cooperation between canonical and non-canonical Wnt signals?

3) Developing stem cell-based therapies for the treatment of Parkinson’s Disease. This involves:
(a) Cell replacement therapy with human embryonic stem cells, neural stem cells and adult stem cells, Postdoctoral positions available in this area
(b) Adult midbrain regeneration, using the newt as a model,
(c) Reprogramming somatic cells as dopaminergic progenitors. (d) Development of stem cell assays.

4) Implementation of novel technologies such as nanobiology and bioelectronics to stem cell biology. Here we aim at engineering smart surfaces to stir stem cell function and instruct their differentiation into neurons, specifically, dopaminergic neurons.Our work aims at integrating aspects of developmental biology, stem cell biology, molecular biology, biochemistry and signaling, nanotechnology, bioelectronics, neurosciences, animal models of Parkinson’s disease, cell transplantation and behavioral analysis.

Our work is mainly supported by projects from the European Union (3 projects: Neurostemcell, Strokemap, Artemis), Swedish Research Council (VR, 2 projects), Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research (SSF, 2 projects: DBRM and OBOE). Several of these projects involve multiple collaborations at a national and international level.

5 SELECTED PUBLICATIONS:

Andersson E.R., Prakash N., Cajanek L., Minina E., Bryja V., Bryjova L., Yamaguchi T.P., Hall A.C., Wurst W., and Ernest Arenas (2008) Wnt5a regulates ventral midbrain morphogenesis and the development of dopaminergic precursors in vivo. PLoS ONE, published online 27 October 2008.

Bryja V., Schambony A., Cajánek L., Dominguez I., Arenas E.*, Schulte G.* (2008) Activation of RAC-1 by XWNT-11 or WNT-5A requires ?-arrestin but not casein kinase 1 and 2. EMBO Reports, published online 24 October 2008.

Edman L., Mira H., Erices A., Malmersjö S. , Andersson E.R., Uhlén P., and Arenas E. (2008) Alpha-chemokines regulate proliferation, neurogenesis and dopaminergic differentiation of ventral midbrain precursors and neurospheres. Stem Cells 26, 1891-1900.

Andäng M., Hjerling-Leffler J., Moliner A., Lundgren T.K., Castelo-Branco G., Nanou E., Pozas E., Bryja V., Halliez S., Nishimaru H., Wilbertz J., Arenas E., Koltzenburg M., Charnay P., El Manira A., Ibáñez C.F., and Ernfors P. (2008) Histone H2AX-dependent GABAA receptor regulation of stem cell proliferation. Nature 451, 460-464.

Parish C.L., Castelo-Branco G., Rawal N., Tonnesen J., Sorensen A.T., Salto C., Kokaia M., Lindvall O., and Arenas E. (2008) Enhanced functional engraftment of Wnt5a-treated midbrain progenitors without tumorigenesis in Parkinsonian mice. J. Clin. Invest. 118, 149-160.

LINKS:

For more information, please visit our lab website.