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The reserve and maturation of oocytes in their follicles (oocyte and surrounding somatic cells) within the ovary is a crucial factor for female fertility. Disturbances in this process (oocyte maturation and folliculogenesis disorders) can manifest themselves as premature ovarian exhaustion (“premature ovarian insufficiency”) or as a “poor response” to hormonal fertility treatment.

Cerebral small vessel disease is one of the most important causes of strokes and dementia. For the hypertensive or amyloidogenic variants, i.e. based on high blood pressure or pathological protein deposits, underlying risk factors, progression rates, prevention and therapy are different. This project aims to establish precise classification systems of these variants for clinical practice based on new imaging markers, e.g. for vascular wall integrity, inflammation and neuronal networks.

Acute Graft-versus-Host Disease (aGvHD) of the gut is still a severe and life-threatening complication after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (ASCT). The loss of intestinal bacterial diversity plays an essential role in the pathophysiology of aGvHD and impacts the outcome after ASCT. Thus, the early identification of changes of the bacterial composition and consecutively of patients with an increased risk for GvHD-related mortality is of major importance. We were already able to identify bacterial biomarkers significantly correlating with the outcome after ASCT.

Bacterial infections in the cardiovascular system occur in natural and artificial heart valves or pacemakers. They are becoming more frequent due to the ageing population and medical progress. In addition, they are difficult to treat as the bacteria adhere to the surfaces of foreign bodies and are protected against antibiotics and the immune system by mucus-like layers known as biofilms. The IKARUS research centre aims to contribute to new diagnostic and therapeutic concepts and to qualify young doctors to work on these important issues.

This research school is devoted to researching new strategies towards the molecular repair of organ transplants. Numerous patients on the waiting list for an organ transplantation die due to the shortage of donor organs. This lack of donor organs is exacerbated because many of the organs donated are unable to be transplanted due to pre-existing defects.

There are many patients who have a high level of suffering due to a stroke, depression or chronic pain. The project group assumes that the ways these diseases of the nervous system manifest themselves are strongly influenced by the environment. Environmental influences can be situated in the weather, in air pollutants, yet also within the social environment. What has been missing until now is a correlation between the findings from basic research and environmental sciences, as well as from data-based and clinical medicine. Our central goal is to establish this linkage.

Within the scope of projects funded by EKFS Dr. Jonas C. Schupp and his team are researching chronic lung diseases, especially interstitial lung diseases, as well as chronic lung transplant graft dysfunction. The aim of his research is to develop precise treatment approaches, i.e. new therapies precisely tailored to patients’ needs. To accomplish this, modern technologies such as single cell RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics are used to characterize aberrant cell populations and gene expression patterns at the single cell level in a spatial tissue context.

In Germany, one in 12 infants is born prematurely, 10% of these infants are born before the 32nd week of gestation. Prematurity is the second-most common cause of child mortality during the first five years and one of the main reasons for lifelong disabilities. Both the occurrence of prematurity itself and the emergence of complications in premature infants are in many cases closely related to an inadequate response from the immune system. Dr.