Image description:
H&E staining of a gliosarcoma sample (a) and corresponding spatial expression (b). UMAP of differentially expressed genes based on spatial transcriptomics highlighting ten highly different clusters within the sample (c).
Saliva contributes to dissolve tastants over the tongues surface. Additionally it harbors components such as extracellular vesicles, small particles that derive from virtually all cells of the body. They serve to exchange information between organs by carrying small molecules such as microRNAs. These microRNAs could potentially influence taste cell function. The aim of this project is to evaluate if changes in the type and constitution of salivary vesicles is altered with respect to bodyweight.
The exact rate of the heart rhythm disturbance atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass graft surgery is unclear. Atrial fibrillation increases the affected patient’s risk of stroke but also of an earlier death, thus it is important to understand how many patients develop this rhythm disorder, when they develop it and whether it persists. In this study insertable cardiac monitors will be implanted at the time of coronary artery bypass graft surgery to continuously monitor the heart rhythm.
Despite improvements in treatments for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), many patients develop recurrences. Therapeutic success requires that lymph node status is classified correctly. In patients with HNSCC where lymph nodes in the neck are clinically not involved in preoperative imaging (cN0), the choice of appropriate therapy remains intensely debated. Development of biomarkers to improve the accuracy of metastatic lymph node detection may lead to a reduction in unnecessary neck dissection, i.e. surgical removal of the lymph nodes draining the neck.
Chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) are synthetic antigen receptors enabling T cells to specifically eliminate cancer cells. CD19-specific CAR-T cells were capable of inducing complete remissions in several patients with relapsed/refractory lymphoma. Nevertheless, currently available CAR-T cell products are not effective in the majority of metastatic tumors (e.g. pancreas carcinoma, colon cancer). Major reasons for the low efficacy of CAR T cells in solid tumors include an insufficient in-vivo expansion and a lack of suitable target structures on the tumor cells.
Recent studies demonstrated the contribution of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the processing of pain and itch. One important ROS target in the pain processing system is the cGMP-dependent protein kinase I α (PKGIα). With this application we elucidate the functional relevance of redox-dependent PKGIα signaling for the processing of pain and itch. We will therefore characterize potential ROS sources in sensory neurons and will elucidate the functional relevance of ROS-mediated PKGIα activation and potential downstream mechanisms for the processing of pain and itch.
Chronic viral infections are characterized by dysfunctional immune responses and long-time persistence in infected tissue. This project focuses on overcoming the persistent immune impairment that is characteristic of chronic human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) infection by using natural human papilloma virus (HPV) persistence as a model for dysfunctional virus-specific T-cell immunity.
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the European Union and ageing is one of their major risk factors. Ageing results in the progressive deterioration of the cardiac structures and function. The hypothesis of this project is that the coronary endothelium works as a molecular signalling hub that integrates the ageing signals arising in the heart. Our main objective is to dissect the molecular interactions between endothelium and myocardium, paying special attention to the secreted signals produced by the aged endothelium.
Patients with severe aortic valve stenosis often suffer from simultaneous coronary heart disease. Due to similar symptoms manifestation, it is difficult for the treating physician to differentiate whether the patient will benefit from the additional treatment of a coronary artery stenosis. Conventional methods, which usually aid therapeutic decision-making, cannot be employed because of hemodynamic interactions between the two diseases.
In recent years, we have learned that histological whole-slide-image data contain much more information than has previously been possible to determine using conventional methods. The Else Kröner Memorial Fellowship will support the implementation of a multicenter, pan-European project with the goal of developing a deep learning model that will use artificial intelligence to enable fully automated prediction of MGMT gene promoter methylation status from digitized H&E stained whole-slide-image data in glioblastoma patients.
