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Universitätsklinikum Mannheim University of Heidelberg Th.Kutzer-Ufer 1-3 68167 Mannheim
The stroke research team at the University of Heidelberg performs both experimental and translational clinical research. This team stems from two departments of neurology located at the faculties of medicine in Heidelberg and in Mannheim. The research group led by Stephen Meairs in Mannheim has performed detailed work on ultrasound brain perfusion imaging, bioeffects of ultrasound and microbubbles on the brain, molecular imaging with immunobubbles (Angelika Alonso), novel drug and gene delivery systems, mesenchymal stem cell therapy and MRI stem cell tracking (Marc Fatar). The group will extend their ongoing cooperation with the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Ghent to develop novel viral gene delivery systems for applications to foster neurogenesis and to target drug delivery of immunoglobulins to the brain. The group will also investigate bioeffects of ultrasound upon NVU integrity, adjunct therapies for thrombolysis and the possibility of increasing proangiogenic activity with ultrasound. Together with Hellmut Augustin (see below), the group will investigate the role of angiogenesis-regulating signaling systems in controlling endothelial cell quiescence and trafficking of circulating cells across the endothelial layer. The Molecular Neuropharmacology group in Heidelberg, led by Markus Schwaninger, has performed extensive studies on the molecular mechanisms of ischaemic stroke, with a focus upon inflammation. They have a strong background in molecular biology and in transgenic techniques. They cooperate with several other participants to define roles of immune depression, neuroprotection, inflammation, and repair using in vivo and in vitro techniques. They will also contribute their expertise with small animal PET, SPECT, and MRI (and soon two-photon microscopy) to the imaging tasks. Prof. Schwaninger and his team pioneered the role of NF-kB in cerebral ischaemia and have developed several novel stroke treatments, some of which are patented. Together with Nils Wahlgren from the Karolinska Institute, Michael Hennerici and Werner Hacke, chairmen of the two departments of neurology, lead the translational clinical trial platform of the ESN. Both have extensive experience in conducting clinical stroke trials. Prof. Hacke chaired the steering committees of ECASS I-III, ASTIN, SPACE, DIAS II and co-chaired CHARISMA, CASTIA, AbESTT and AbESTTII. Prof. Hennerici was on the steering committee of SPARCL, ECASS I-III, and principle investigator of PROFESS, ESTAT and TRUMBI studies. Michael Hennerici founded both the European Stroke Conference and the journal “Cerebrovascular Diseases”, of which he is chairman and editor, respectively. Werner Hacke is president of the European Stroke Organization and co-editor of the journal "Stroke". Hellmut Augustin is director of the Joint Research Division Vascular Biology of the Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, and the German Cancer Research Center Heidelberg. Experiments will focus on the roles of Angiopoietin-2 and Tie1 as dynamically-regulated modulators of constitutive Angiopoietin-1/Tie2 signaling, the role of EphB / ephrinB interactions in controlling cell trafficking across the vascular endothelium, and on the molecular and functional characterization of a novel neurovascular guidance molecule of the class 3 semaphorin familiy that the lab has recently identified (Sema3G). Prof. Augustin is founder of the German Vascular Biology Network, was coordinator of the nationwide German Angiogenesis Priority Research Grant (SPP1069) from 1998-2006, is Coordinator of the nationwide German tumor-vessel interaction Priority Research Grant (SPP1190) and received the Binder Innovation Prize of the German Society for Cell Biology. Carl-Erik Dempfle is Professor of Internal Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine in Mannheim. He is an international expert on thrombosis and haemostasis. He is Secretary of the International Fibrinogen Research Society (IFRS) and Editor of Thrombosis and Haemostasis, Thrombosis Research.
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