Clinical Studies
Cardiovascular surgery (Heart surgery)
Analysis of cellular senescence in the context of aging and degeneration in post-COVID19 sequelae
Cellular senescence is a trigger of ageing and degenerative diseases in animals as well as in humans. The accumulation of senescent cells in the body leads to an increase in factors of the so-called senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) in plasma.
It has been shown that various SASP factors correlate with ageing and the risk of age-related diseases. However, it appears to be a mixture of trigger factors as well as organ- and cell-specific factors. The SARS-CoV2 virus and the subsequent Covid-19 disease trigger cell ageing and even senescence in the mucosa. Initial clinical studies also indicate that senolysis (selective killing of senescent cells by pharmaceutical substances) improves the outcome of patients after SARS-CoV2 infection. Studies of patient plasma have also shown that inflammatory factors, which are also counted as SASP, remain elevated in patients with pronounced post-COVID restrictions.
Therefore, selected SASP factors should be investigated as predictors for the course of COVID-19, the risk of long-term Covid disease or post-COVID restrictions, e.g. decline in cognitive abilities, in a population study in order to define factors that are suitable for identifying high-risk patients in future pandemic settings at the onset of the disease.
- Prof. Andreas Simm
Radiology I
The aim of the sub-project of the Department of Radiology is the comprehensive characterization of LongCOVID patients by means of symptom questionnaires and the examination with symptom-specific multimodal imaging: neuroradiological (including assessment of memory capacity, atrophy, nerve fiber integrity and iron metabolism), pneumological (including assessment of the lung parenchyma, ventilation and perfusion) and/or cardioradiological (including assessment of the myocardium and hemodynamics).
On this basis, organ system-specific imaging markers (morphological, functional and hemodynamic changes) are identified and these are analyzed and correlated with regard to their synergies, relevance and predictive power for the course of the disease. Based on the data analysis, stratification models for the risk of cardiovascular, pneumological and neurological sequelae and prevention recommendations will be derived.
- Prof. Walter Wohlgemuth
Radiology II
The aim of the neuroradiological subproject is to categorize morphologically and functionally detectable changes according to COVID (post-COVID, long-COVID) that are associated with fatigue syndromes, cognitive impairment and atypical neurodegenerative processes, in particular using MR imaging and complementary methods such as near-infrared spectroscopy. Particular attention will be paid to the cerebrovascular pathway for potentially brain-toxic metabolites, the glial-lymphatic system, correlating changes in cerebrospinal fluid flow and changes in the cerebral vascular wall, which can also be assumed to be a consequence of COVID endothelitis. In addition, the influence of brain perfusion on the dynamics of the perivascular drainage pathway and possible changes in functional connectivity will also be investigated.
On this basis, detectable, disease-associated radiomic image patterns will be identified using magnetic resonance imaging, which will then be analyzed with regard to their predictive power for the course of the disease and risk profile for secondary diseases. In synergy with the project of the Polyclinic for Radiology, corresponding prediction models are to be developed for secondary COVID diseases mainly affecting the CNS and corresponding causal preventive options are to be determined.
- Dr. Stefan Schob
Physiological Chemistry
In order to improve the pandemic resilience of our ageing society, we need to better understand the effects on older people. To this end, we want to simulate an infection with SARS-CoV-2 viruses in the laboratory and pay particular attention to changes associated with age. We are looking for factors that promote severe secondary damage after an infection with SARS-CoV-2 viruses. These findings can help us to better protect elderly people in the future.
We will use synthetic spike proteins to simulate an infection of the central nervous system by various SARS-CoV-2 virus strains and analyze cellular responses. We want to compare cells from young donors, old donors and donors suffering from dementia.
- Dr. Matthias Jung
- Prof. Thomas Hollemann
Health care centres (DIM)
To be disclosed.
- Prof. Matthias Girndt
