Donato Di Monte

Prof. Dr. Donato Di Monte serves as Group Leader at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) in Bonn, Germany. His laboratory focuses on Parkinson's disease (PD) pathogenesis with emphasis on alpha-synuclein toxicity mechanisms and neurodegenerative processes.

Research interests span:

• Experimental models of PD pathology including viral vector-induced alpha-synuclein overexpression in dorsal motor nucleus of vagus nerve (DMnX)
• Advanced histological and molecular techniques such as fluorescent in situ hybridization for alpha-synuclein mRNA detection
• Key mechanisms: mitochondrial failure, protein degradation impairment, microglial activation, and neuron-to-neuron protein transfer
• Disease risk factors including aging, genetic variants, and environmental exposures
• Therapeutic strategies: RNA silencing, immunotherapy, and regenerative cell therapy

The group bridges PD research with other neurodegenerative disorders to investigate selective neuronal vulnerability and pathological comorbidity. Their work demonstrates how caudo-rostral alpha-synuclein spreading (e.g., from medulla oblongata to pons) triggers microglial activation in aging brains and contributes to neurodegeneration in vulnerable regions like locus coeruleus and substantia nigra.

Experimental highlights include:

• AAV-mediated alpha-synuclein targeting in vagus nerve projections
• RNA interference showing reduced alpha-synuclein expression in substantia nigra neurons
• Visualization of alpha-synuclein accumulation in locus coeruleus axons following protein spreading