Ola Hermanson

Group members:
Ola Hermanson, group leader
Giulia Gaudenzi, PhD stud
Nina Heldring, postdoc
Esra Karaca, PhD stud
Michalina Lewicka, PhD stud
Tobias Lilja, postdoc
Ricardo Paap, Master stud
Amilcar Reis, PhD stud
Julian Walfridsson, postdoc

OLA HERMANSON
Department of Neuroscience
Ola.Hermanson@ki.se

In the Hermanson lab, we are passionately involved in transcriptional regulatory mechanisms governing the genetic and epigenetic cues that regulate the proper development and function of neural cells and brain circuits involved in autonomic function and cognition.

We have developed protocols that allow us to generate terminally differentiated and functional cells from neural stem cells, including neurons, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and smooth muscle cells, and we are developing techniques to generate functional neuronal circuits from a small number of stem cells.

We use a wide variety of molecular and biochemical techniques and we are continuously developing novel approaches and strategies in our studies, including bioengineering, bioprinting and live cell imaging (see Biomaterials, 2007; Biomaterials, 2009). We have also in collaboration developed novel probes for non-invasive live detection of stem cells (in preparation), as well as novel modes for efficient targeting of cancer cells using red wine (see Exp. Cell Res., 2009).

Using these and more conventional strategies, we are studying the effectors and functions of major signaling systems, including FGFs and BMPs, on neural stem cells in development and disease, with particular focus on the roles for chromatin modifying factors and transcriptional regulators (including NCoR, SMRT, CtBP, HDACs, histone demethylases and methyl transferases) proven to be absolutely critical for proper control of neural development.

We also pursue close translational collaborations investigating transcriptional and epigenetic regulatory mechanisms in human ES cells, neurodevelopmental disease such as Rett syndrome, neurological disease such as MS, and neuroectodermal cancer disease, in particular glioma, and we strongly believe that increased knowledge of the basic cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying neural differentiation will provide a solid basis for development of new tools for clinical diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy.

5 SELECTED PUBLICATIONS:

Jungebluth P., Alici E., Baiguera S., Le Blanc K., Blomberg P., Bozóky B., Crowley C., Einarsson O., Grinnemo K.H., Gudbjartsson T., Le Guyader S., Henriksson G., Hermanson O., Juto J.E., Leidner B., Lilja T., Liska J., Luedde T., Lundin V., Moll G., Nilsson B., Roderburg C., Strömblad S., Sutlu T., Teixeira A.I., Watz E., Seifalian A., and Macchiarini P. (2011) Tracheobronchial transplantation with a stem-cell-seeded bioartificial nanocomposite. Lancet, AOP.

Hajji N., Wallenborg K., Vlachos P., Füllgrabe J., Hermanson O., and Joseph B. (2010) Opposing effects of hMOF and SIRT1 on H4K16 acetylation and the sensitivity to the topoisomerase II inhibitor etoposide. Oncogene 316, 1415-1421.

Andersson T., Södersten E., Duckworth J.K., Cascante A., Fritz N., Sacchetti P., Cervenka I., Bryja V., and Hermanson O. (2009) CXXC5 is a novel BMP4-regulated modulator of Wnt-signaling in neural stem cells. J. Biol. Chem. 284, 3672-3681.

Hermanson O. (2008) Stem cells have different needs for REST. PLoS Biol. 6, e271.

Jepsen K., Solum D., Zhou T., McEvilly R.J., Kim H.J., Glass C.K., Hermanson O., and Rosenfeld M.G. (2007) SMRT-mediated repression of an H3K27 demethylase in progression from neural stem cell to neuron. Nature 450, 415-419.

LINKS:

For more information, please visit our lab website. You may also enjoy this, this and this!