Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology

Cerebrovascular Pharmacology

Malena Brenek

Mission statement

Cerebrovascular diseases, such as stroke, brain hemorrhage, and dementia, are the leading causes of death and disability and present an enormous socioeconomic burden worldwide. Current estimates predict that their prevalence will further increase as 25 % of the population will be over 65 years of age by 2030.

Current explicative models of these diseases account for signs and symptoms that are already present in affected patients. However, we now know that these diseases are life-spanning processes that start silently at least 20 to 30 years before symptoms are perceived. It is therefore difficult to identify real cause from mere consequences.

Our research group aims to identify the underlying etiology of cerebrovascular disease and brain aging in addition to studying its pathophysiology in order to identify novel targets and to develop innovative therapies for prevention, cytoprotection, regeneration, and recovery of motor and cognitive function that are limited in patients suffering from these devastating diseases.

Our current projects are:

  1. Unraveling the gut-brain axis in cerebrovascular diseases: Exploring soluble fiber-rich diet to mitigate the detrimental effects of hypertension and hemorrhagic stroke
     
  2. Identifying the mechanisms underlying the protective effect of short-chain fatty acids
     
  3. Understanding the mechanisms of cell death after subretinal hemorrhage
     
  4. Characterizing aging of the blood-brain barrier
     
  5. Identifying bioactive compounds for healthy brain aging

Funding

  1. 2026-2030: University of Vienna Research Platform: Non-Enzymatic Protein Modifications in Neurodegeneration, in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Christian Becker (Faculty of Chemistry), Prof. Dr. Christoph Rademacher (Faculty of Life Sciences), Prof. Dr. Sascha Martens (Max Perutz Labs)
  1. 2025-2027: Interdisciplinary Research Networks grant of the Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, in collaboration with Dr. Felix Sternberg (Dept. of Nutritional Sciences): Targeting Senescence - Investigating the Protective Effects of Short- and Medium-Chain Fatty Acids on Cardiac and Blood-Brain Barrier Aging. 
  1. 2025-2026: IBRO Collaborative Research Grant: NeuroGuard - Targeted intervention at the blood-brain barrier interface for age-related neurovascular resilience. In collaboration with Assoc.-Prof. Dr. Kotaro Yoshioka, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan 
  1. 2025-2026: Hochschuljubiläumsfonds der Stadt Wien (Project number: H-506512/2024): Unraveling the gut-brain axis: Exploring soluble fiber-rich diet to mitigate the detrimental effects of high blood pressure on the brain 
  1. 2024-2027: Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW Project number: 27097): Identification of the metabolites associated with a dietary intervention that protect against hypertension-induced cerebrovascular injury 
  1. 2023: Hochschuljubiläumsfonds der Stadt Wien (Project number: H-902282/2022): Unraveling mechanisms of axonal degeneration in intracerebral hemorrhage 
  1. 2018-2020: Fraunhofer Society MEF EnTireAxon – Test system to systematically investigate axons
  1. 2018-2019: Interstellar Initiative of the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development and the New York Academy of Sciences 
  1. 2018-2019: BMBF MERCEDES – Multimodal Enhancement of Nerve Tissue Regeneration using Cellular Approaches for Degenerative Nervous System diseases 
  1. 2018-2019: BMBF NEPTUN – German-Mexican Roundtable Exploring New Etiological Paths Towards Neurodegeneration

Publications

2026

Padgett, MJ, Fucelova, N, Boltze, J, England, TJ, Hietamies, T, Horsburgh, K, Quinn, TJ, Sena, ES, Work, LM, Zille, M, Trueman, RC & Farr, TD 2026, 'Systematic review and meta-analysis of cognitive assessments used to detect deficits in the bilateral carotid artery stenosis model for vascular cognitive impairment', Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism. https://doi.org/10.1177/0271678X251405670

2025

Pasokh, A, Hadziavdic, L, Farr, TD & Zille, M 2025, 'Axonal degeneration in hemorrhagic stroke: a systematic review', Pharmacological Research, vol. 220, 107946. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phrs.2025.107946

Balogh, B, Zille, M, Szarka, G, Péntek, L, Futácsi, A, Völgyi, B & Kovács-Öller, T 2025, 'Correction: Local microglial activation induced and labeled in the retina in a novel subretinal hemorrhage mouse model', Scientific Reports, vol. 15, no. 1, 32516. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-18785-2

Zhang, H, Xing, N, Wang, J, Zhang, J, Jia, C, Li, Y, Fan, H, Liu, Y, Dialameh, F, Cheng, N, Sun, Y, Wang, J, Wang, M, Wu, M, Yin, X, Zhu, W, Li, J, Zhang, J, Jiang, C, Xing, F, Zille, M, Fan, X, Chen, X & Wang, J 2025, 'Histopathological and ultrastructural changes in different cell types during ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke', Ageing Research Reviews, vol. 111, 102846. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arr.2025.102846

Zille, M, Balasubramanian, HB, Ravi Kumar, RK & Batzorig, A (ed.), Impact of null results in a PhD, 2025, Radio show, PhaNuSpo LifeSciences ScienceLife Podcast. <https://lifesciences-sciencelife.podigee.io/12-e12-impact-of-null-results-in-a-phd>

Tahir, A, Balasubramanian, HB, Kahr, D, Haage, F & Zille, M 2025 'Aging of the blood-brain barrier: Metabolic signatures of mouse brain endothelial cell senescence' bioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.08.14.670255

Balogh, B, Zille, M, Szarka, G, Péntek, L, Futácsi, A, Völgyi, B & Kovács-Öller, T 2025, 'Local microglial activation induced and labeled in the retina in a novel subretinal hemorrhage mouse model', Scientific Reports, vol. 15, no. 1, 24804. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-09007-w

Liu, L, Jia, P, Liu, T, Liang, J, Dang, Y, Rastegar-Kashkooli, Y, Li, Q, Liu, J, Man, J, Zhao, T, Xing, N, Wang, F, Chen, X, Zhang, J, Jiang, C, Zille, M, Zhang, Z, Fan, X, Wang, J & Wang, J 2025, 'Metabolic dysfunction contributes to mood disorders after traumatic brain injury', Ageing Research Reviews, vol. 104, pp. 102652. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arr.2024.102652

2024

Zille, M, Förderungspreis der Stadt Wien / Mathematik, Informatik, Naturwissenschaft und Technik (MINT), 2024, Film, Stadt Wien Kultur. <https://www.wien.gv.at/video/4383/Foerderungspreis-der-Stadt-Wien-Mathematik-Informatik-Naturwissenschaft-und-Technik-(MINT)>

Tao, J, Li, J, Fan, X, Jiang, C, Wang, Y, Qin, M, Nikfard, Z, Nikfard, F, Wang, Y, Zhao, T, Xing, N, Zille, M, Wang, J, Zhang, J, Chen, X & Wang, J 2024, 'Unraveling the protein post-translational modification landscape: Neuroinflammation and neuronal death after stroke', Ageing Research Reviews, vol. 101, 102489. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arr.2024.102489

Jia, P, Peng, Q, Fan, X, Zhang, Y, Xu, H, Li, J, Sonita, H, Liu, S, Le, A, Hu, Q, Zhao, T, Zhang, S, Wang, J, Zille, M, Jiang, C, Chen, X & Wang, J 2024, 'Immune-mediated disruption of the blood–brain barrier after intracerebral hemorrhage: Insights and potential therapeutic targets', CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics, vol. 30, no. 7, e14853. https://doi.org/10.1111/cns.14853

Zille, M & Dinter, S, Krankheit und Gesundheit in Medizin und Literatur, 2024, Radio show, InterSpaces Podcast. <https://interspaces.letscast.fm/episode/episode-5-krankheit-und-gesundheit-in-medizin-und-literatur>

Nie, L, He, J, Wang, J, Wang, R, Huang, L, Jia, L, Kim, YT, Bhawal, UK, Fan, X, Zille, M, Jiang, C, Chen, X & Wang, J 2024, 'Environmental Enrichment for Stroke and Traumatic Brain Injury: Mechanisms and Translational Implications', Comprehensive Physiology, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 5291-5323. https://doi.org/10.1002/cphy.c230007

2023

Liu, J, van Beusekom, H, Bu, X-L, Chen, G, Henrique Rosado de Castro, P, Chen, X, Chen, X, Clarkson, AN, Farr, TD, Fu, Y, Jia, J, Jolkkonen, J, Kim, WS, Korhonen, P, Li, S, Liang, Y, Liu, G-H, Liu, G, Liu, Y-H, Malm, T, Mao, X, Oliveira, JM, Modo, MM, Ramos-Cabrer, P, Ruscher, K, Song, W, Wang, J, Wang, X, Wang, Y, Wu, H, Xiong, L, Yang, Y, Ye, K, Yu, J-T, Zhou, X-F, Zille, M, Masters, CL, Walczak, P, Johannes, B, Ji, X & Wang, Y-J 2023, 'Preserving cognitive function in patients with Alzheimer's disease: The Alzheimer's disease neuroprotection research initiative (ADNRI)', Neuroprotection, vol. 1, no. 2, pp. 84-98. https://doi.org/10.1002/nep3.23

Chhatwal, S, Antony, H, Lamei, S, Kovács-Öller, T, Klettner, AK & Zille, M 2023, 'A systematic review of the cell death mechanisms in retinal pigment epithelium cells and photoreceptors after subretinal hemorrhage – Implications for treatment options', Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, vol. 167, 115572. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115572

Ji, X, Walczak, P, Beusekom, HMMV, Casas, AI, Clarkson, A, Farr, T, Jolkkonen, J, Liang, Y, Modo, M, Rosado‐de‐Castro, PH, Ruscher, K, Wang, YJ, Wu, H, Zille, M, Li, S & Boltze, J 2023, 'Join us on an amazing journey towards next‐generation treatments for CNS disorders: Launch of Neuroprotection, a new high‐quality journal in translational neuroscience', Neuroprotection, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 1-4. https://doi.org/10.1002/nep3.8

Crilly, S, Zille, M, Kasher, PR & Modo, M 2023, 'Editorial: Innovative models of stroke pathology', Frontiers in Neurology, vol. 14, 1266075. https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2023.1266075

Liu, Y, Chen, S, Liu, S, Wallace, KL, Zille, M, Zhang, J, Wang, J & Jiang, C 2023, 'T-cell receptor signaling modulated by the co-receptors: Potential targets for stroke treatment', Pharmacological Research, vol. 192, 106797. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phrs.2023.106797

Wang, S, Ren, X, Wang, J, Peng, Q, Niu, X, Song, C, Li, C, Jiang, C, Zang, W, Zille, M, Fan, X, Chen, X & Wang, J 2023, 'Blocking autofluorescence in brain tissues affected by ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke, or traumatic brain injury', Frontiers in Immunology, vol. 14, 1168292. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1168292

Palumbo, A & Zille, M 2023, 'Approaches to quantify axonal morphology for the analysis of axonal degeneration', Neural Regeneration Research, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 309-310. https://doi.org/10.4103/1673-5374.343904

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