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News Preiffer 06.2020
Prof. Dr. Alexander Pfeifer (left) and Dr. Thorsten Gnad (right) from the Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University Hospital Bonn.
© Katharina Wislsperger/UKBonn

Publication

Receptor makes mice strong and slim

Study by the University of Bonn identifies molecule that regulates two side effects of aging

Increasing abdominal girth and shrinking muscles are two common side effects of aging. Researchers at the University of Bonn from the Cluster of Excellence ImmunoSensation have discovered a receptor in mice that regulates both effects. Experiments with human cell cultures suggest that the corresponding signaling pathways might also exist in humans. The study, which also involved researchers from Spain, Finland, Belgium, Denmark and the USA, has now been published in the renowned journal "Cell Metabolism".

Publication

Thorsten Gnad, Gemma Navarro, Minna Lahesmaa, Laia Reverte-Salisa, Francesca Copperi, Arnau Cordomi, Jennifer Naumann, Aileen Hochhäuser, Saskia Haufs-Brusberg, Daniela Wenzel, Frank Suhr, Naja Zenius Jespersen, Camilla Scheele, Volodymyr Tsvilovskyy, Christian Brinkmann, Joern Rittweger, Christian Dani, Mathias Kranz, Winnie Deuther-Conrad, Holger K. Eltzschig, Tarja Niemi, Markku Taittonen, Peter Brust, Pirjo Nuutila, Leonardo Pardo, Bernd K. Fleischmann, Matthias Blüher, Rafael Franco, Wilhelm Bloch, Kirsi A. Virtanen, Alexander Pfeifer: Adenosine/A2B receptor signaling ameliorates the effects of ageing and counteracts obesity. Cell Metabolism, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2020.06.006

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(from left) Julia Nicke and Dr. Mona Malek Mohammadi have identified a previously unknown signaling pathway in the immune system that helps newborn heart cells survive and regenerate after injury.

Publication

Central Hub for Heart Repair Discovered Bonn study: Heart muscle interaction enables cardiac regeneration in the neonatal heart

—Researchers at the University Hospital of Bonn (UKB) and the University of Bonn have identified a previously unknown signaling pathway in the immune system that helps newborn heart cells survive and regenerate after injury. The findings could open new avenues for future therapies aimed at repairing damaged adult hearts after heart attacks or chronic cardiovascular disease. The study has now been published in the journal Cell Communication and Signaling (Springer Nature).
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Publication

Malaria Causes Permanent Damage to Phagocytes in the Spleen

—Macrophages formed in the bone marrow can only assume the function of embryonal phagocytes, or “scavenger cells,” to a certain degree according to a study by the University of Bonn and the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity at the University of Melbourne. The researchers have demonstrated that malaria infection causes permanent damage to resident CD163 macrophages in the spleen, which are responsible for cleaning the blood, recycling iron and communicating with other cells involved in the body’s immune response.
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Tracking glioblastoma cell spread in human brain tissue

Publication

Core2Edge: How tumor cells conquer the brain

—Glioblastoma is an aggressive brain tumor that infiltrates deep into the surrounding brain tissue. Even after surgery, tumor cells remain in the brain and the tumor recurs. Bonn researchers have now developed Core2Edge, a model based entirely on human tissue that captures these hard-to-access infiltration zones at the tumor margin. The model enables investigation of the invasive front and direct assessment of new drug candidates in human tissue - without the need for animal testing. The study of the Brain Tumor Translational Research Group has now been published in Nature Protocols.
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