Marco Morsch 简介

Dr Marco Morsch is a mid career neuroscientist, senior lecturer, and team leader at Macquarie University with a main focus on advancing our understanding of neuronal communication and cell-cell interactions . His unique experimental skills and strong understanding of fundamental biological mechanisms allowed him to make important advances in the study of neurological diseases and, more recently, in the underlying principles of neuron-glia interactions in the healthy and stressed nervous system.

研究课题：用于了解脑部癌症生长和侵袭分子机理基础的神经胶质瘤斑马鱼模型研究

A glioblastoma zebrafish model to understand the molecular mechanisms underpinning the growth and invasiveness of brain cancers

Introduction

Glioblastoma multiforme is the most common and deadliest form of brain cancer and is highly resistant to therapeutic strategies. Glioblastomas are known to contain a high number of microglia/macrophages. This microglial/macrophage invasion supports tumour growth and the infiltration of surrounding brain tissue by glioma cells. Importantly, the presence of macrophages/microglia positively correlates with glioma grade and prognosis. However, the exact nature of microglia/macrophage-glioma interactions is not well understood but our experimental design provides a unique opportunity to study the cellular and molecular mechanisms that promote malignant glioma growth.

In this project we will establish the first zebrafish model in Australia to study glioblastoma growth and invasiveness in real-time in the living brain. Our team has established a collaboration with the University of Edinburgh to study microglia-brain tumour cell interactions in vivo in the larval zebrafish brain. We will be using state-of-the-art fluorescent labelling and visualisation techniques that allow us to track tumour progression and the impact of microglia to regulate that process. Targeting these microglia interactions may provide future therapeutic interventions to delay or even halt the progression of the tumour. In addition, our experimental system will provide unique insights into how microglia precursors may be used as a non-invasive route of access to the brain.

Hypothesis

Microglia and macrophages that have colonised the glioblastoma display pro-tumoral characteristics and interfering with the activation profile of these cells may delay tumour progression.

Aims

Aim 1: Investigate how host zebrafish microglia respond to the transplantation of human glioblastoma cells into the zebrafish brain.

Aim 2: Assess how microglia interference can affect tumour growth and invasiveness in vivo.

Aim 3: Test if microglia infiltration can be utilised to deliver therapeutic cargo (payload) directly to the tumour cells.

Outcome

We will establish the first glioblastoma model in zebrafish in Australia to test how microglia interact with human brain cancer cell lines. We hypothesize that manipulating microglia-tumour interactions will affect tumour progression. Understanding microglia-glioblastoma interactions will provide important insights into glioblastoma pathogenesis.

Contact

Marco Morsch marco.morsch@mq.edu.au

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