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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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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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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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Mikrochip zur Wiederherstellung zentralen Sehvermögens bei fortgeschrittener Makuladegeneration.

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Approval of a Novel Retinal Implant Technology

—A novel retinal implant is offering people with geographic atrophy the opportunity to regain part of their central vision for the first time. Geographic atrophy is a severe late stage of age-related macular degeneration. An international research team led by Prof. Frank G. Holz of the UKB and the University of Bonn demonstrated in an international clinical trial that the majority of participants experienced significant improvements in visual acuity. The novel retinal implant technology has now received approval for routine clinical use in Europe, making it available beyond clinical trials.
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