Preventing clinically relevant cell death

Understanding the molecular mechanisms of cell death has been at the center of medical research for decades. While in the past, apoptosis was at the center of this effort, emerging evidence has demonstrated that there are other forms of regulated cell death, which play crucial roles in several pathologies. Gaining a more detailed understanding of these pathways, such as necroptosis, ferroptosis and pyroptosis, is of great relevance in order to translate that knowledge into clinically relevant applications.

To achieve this, the Linkermann Lab is focusing on clinically relevant regulated cell death in the context of acute kidney injury (AKI), organ transplantation and diabetes among others. The lab is studying the respective cell death pathways underlying various pathophysiological conditions, which molecular switches might be involved and how to pharmacologically intervene. For this, cell death pathways are assessed using live-cell imaging, genetic modifications of key proteins, biomolecular and histological assessment of tissue damage and additional cell death assays. Further, we use in vivo models in order to understand the physiological relevance of different pathways, under which conditions these play a role and to establish small molecules as potential inhibitors.