Current Projects
Current work connecting lipidomics with neuroinflammation and related disease models.
Correlation of intralesional lipid metabolism with lesion phenotype and inflammatory activity.
SSJ Lattau, S Zechel, C Stadelmann #, Fitzner D # (# corresponding authors)
We hypothesize that lipid profiles of distinct MS lesions link to lesion phenotype and microglial activity and correlate with plasma lipid profiles. We apply shotgun lipidomics and transcriptomics on human MS lesions and relate findings to microglia/oligodendrocyte histology.
Region‑specific lipidomic profiling in brain and spinal cord tissue of X‑linked adrenoleukodystrophy mice
Marten LM*, Lattau SSJ*, Nessler S, Stadelmann C, Rosewich H, Fitzner D #, Gärtner J # (* equal contribution, # corresponding authors)
Using quantitative shotgun lipidomics, we chart spatial and temporal VLCFA‑related alterations in brain and spinal cord of xALD mouse models to better understand pathways driving neurodegeneration.
Impact of TDP‑43 on lipid composition and proteome of neurons
SSJ Lattau, Sabrina Schöning, Leonie Sophie Angerer, Christian Klose, Christof Lenz, Mathias Bähr, Dirk Fitzner*#, Jan Christoph Koch*# (* equal contribution, # corresponding authors)
We compare lipid profiles across cell models expressing TDP‑43.
Publications
2026
Article
Intrathecal Kappa Free Light Chains in Relation to IgM Synthesis and MRZH Reaction in a Mixed Neurological Cohort
Kristina Auf dem Brinke, Noah Benedict Thust, Amina Simou, Seyed Siyawasch Justus Lattau, Peter Lange, Niels Hansen, Manuel Wallbach, Dirk Fitzner
Journal of Neurochemnistry
Intrathecal immunoglobulin synthesis is a hallmark of neuroinflammatory diseases. Free kappa light chains (FLCK) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) have emerged as a sensitive biomarker of B-cell activity in the central nervous system (CNS), yet their relationship to immunoglobulin M (IgM) synthesis and polyspecific antiviral responses remains unclear.
2025
Article
Serum and cerebrospinal kappa free light chains in psychiatric syndromes with neuronal and paraneoplastic autoantibodies
Luise M Groeger, Kristina Auf dem Brinke, Amina Simou, Daniel Luedecke, Hannah B Maier Alexandra Neyazi, Jürgen Gallinat, Stefan Bleich, Thomas Skripuletz, Franz F Konen, Jens Wiltfang, Berend Malchow, Dirk Fitzner 2#, Niels Hansen 8# (# equally contributing authors)
(Cerebrospinal Fluid Analysis in Psychiatry) consortium, FoNetPsy (Deutsches Forschungsnetz für Seelische Gesundheit e.V.)
Behavioural Brain Research
Elevated KFLC levels may indicate psychiatric patients presenting any intrathecal immunoglobulin
synthesis and thus help to evaluate an autoimmune basis in psychiatric syndromes
Article
Plasma Lipidomic Patterns Associated with Disease Activity in Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyradiculoneuropathy
Kristina Auf dem Brinke , Lisa-Marie Borsch , Christian Klose , Jana Zschüntzsch , Liza Vinhoven , Manuel Nietert , Seyed Siyawasch Justus Lattau #, Dirk Fitzner # (# corresponding authors)
Journal of Lipid Research
This study suggests that CIDP is characterized by distinct lipidomic profiles modulated by disease activity.
Presentation
Plasma Lipidomic Patterns Associated with Disease Activity in Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyradiculoneuropathy
11th Congress of the European Academy of Neurology, Helsinki, Finland
2024
Article
Dynamic brain lipid profiles modulate microglial lipid droplet accumulation and inflammation under ischemic conditions in mice
Wei Wei, Seyed Siyawasch Justus Lattau, Wenqiang Xin, Yongli Pan, Lars Tatenhorst, Lin Zhang, Irina Graf, Yaoyun Kuang, Xuan Zheng, Zhongnan Hao, Aurel Popa-Wagner, Stefan T Gerner, Sabine Huber, Manuel Nietert, Christian Klose, Ertugrul Kilic, Dirk M Hermann, Mathias Bähr, Hagen B Huttner, Hua Liu, Dirk Fitzner*#, Thorsten R Doeppner*
*Equal contribution; #Corresponding authors
Advanced Science
Microglia critically shape post‑stroke inflammation. Under ischemic conditions, lipid droplet accumulation drives a pro‑inflammatory state and exacerbates injury.
Article
Plasma lipidomic profiling using mass spectrometry for Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis and disease activity stratification (LipidMS)
Seyed Siyawasch Justus Lattau, Lisa-Marie Borsch, Kristina Auf dem Brinke, Christian Klose, Liza Vinhoven, Manuel Nietert, Dirk Fitzner
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
Plasma lipidomic signatures are explored for aiding diagnosis and stratifying disease activity and course in MS.
2023
Article
TREM2 regulates microglial lipid droplet formation and represses post‑ischemic brain injury
Wei Wei, Lin Zhang, Wenqiang Xin, Yongli Pan, Lars Tatenhorst, Zhongnan Hao, Stefan T Gerner Sabine Huber, Martin Juenemann, Marius Butz, Hagen B Huttner, Mathias Bähr, Dirk Fitzner, Feng Jia, Thorsten R Doeppner
Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy
TREM2’s role in microglial functions impacts stroke pathology and inflammation, suggesting therapeutic potential.
Poster
Plasma lipidomic profiling by mass spectrometry for Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis and disease activity stratification (LipidMS)
Seyed Siyawasch Justus Lattau, Lisa-Marie Borsch, Kristina Auf dem Brinke, Christian Klose, Liza Vinhoven, Manuel Nietert, Dirk Fitzner
9th Joint ECTRIMS-ACTRIMS Meeting
Meet our Team
PD Dr. med.
Dirk Fitzner
Principal Investigator
Leading Attending Physician, Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen
Contact
Key Publications
Defective cholesterol clearance limits remyelination in the aged central nervous system
Science
Cell-Type- and Brain-Region-Resolved Mouse Brain Lipidome
Cell Reports
Dr. med.
Justus Lattau
Clinician Scientist
Clinician Scientist, University Medical Center Göttingen
DFG Clinician Scientist, SFB 274, Göttingen & München
Interest
Integrating lipidomics into clinical questions
Dr. med.
Kristina auf dem Brinke
Clinician Scientist
DFG Clinician Scientist Kolleg, University Medical Center Göttingen
Interest
Lipid-mediated autoimmunity in demyelinating diseases
Dr. rer. nat.
Neeraja Puliparambil Suresh
PostDoc
University Medical Center Göttingen
Interest
I am fascinated by how lipid metabolism in the central nervous system shapes brain health and contributes to disease. My current research focuses on unraveling these mechanisms in Parkinson’s disease using mouse models, where I combine lipidomics and transcriptomics to capture a systems-level view. By bridging molecular insights with neuronal function, I aim to better understand how disrupted lipid signaling drives neurodegeneration
Dr. med.
Ioanna Giotaki
Neurologist
Board-certified Neurologist, University Medical Center Göttingen
Irina Graf
Lab Technician
Zhongnan Hao
PhD Student
University Medical Center Göttingen
Henry Meyer
MD Student
Amina Simou
MD Student
Annalena Steiner
MD Student
Former Members
Post-Docs
Wei Wei
MD-Students
Dr. med. Lisa-Marie Borsch
Noah Benedict Thust
Collaborations
University Medical Center Göttingen, Germany
Neuropathology
C Stadelmann-Nessler
S Zechel
Neurology
J Koch
Medical Bioinformatics
Clinic for Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine
J Gärtner
L Marten