The enzyme TBK1 is an important component of the innate immune system that plays a critical role in the defense against viruses. Upon mutation-induced loss of TBK1 function, patients show an increased susceptibility to viral infections. Strikingly, if TBK1 is not expressed at all, this clinical effect is not seen. The mechanism behind this supposed discrepancy has now been elucidated by researchers led by Prof. Martin Schlee from the University Hospital Bonn and the Cluster of Excellence ImmunoSensation2 at the University of Bonn. The study was published in the journal Frontiers in Immunology.

The success of cancer treatment depends not only on the type of tumor, but also on the surrounding tissue. Tumors influence it to their advantage, promoting the growth of blood vessels or fooling incoming immune cells. Developing methods to predict the nature of the resulting tumor microenvironment is the goal of researchers from the Clusters of Excellence ImmunoSensation2 and the Hausdorff Center for Mathematics (HCM) led by Prof. Kevin Thurley at the University of Bonn. The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is funding the "InterpretTME" project with around 800,000 euros over the next three years.

In epilepsy research, it has long been assumed that a leaky blood-brain barrier is a cause of inflammation in the brain. Using a novel method, researchers from the University of Bonn an the Bonn University Hospital (UKB) have demonstrated that the barrier between the blood and the central nervous system remains largely intact. The approach of their study provides important insights into the development of epilepsy and could significantly optimize drug development in the pharmaceutical industry. The study results have recently been published in the journal Nature Communications.

Viruses use the molecular repertoire of the host cell to replicate. Researchers from the Cluster of Excellence ImmunoSensation2 at the University of Bonn, together with Japanese researchers, want to exploit this for the treatment of influenza. The team led by Prof. Hiroki Kato from the Institute of Cardiovascular Immunology at the University Hospital Bonn has identified a compound that inhibits the body's own methyltransferase MTr1, thereby limiting the replication of influenza viruses. The compound proved effective in lung tissue preparations and mouse studies and showed synergistic effects with already approved influenza drugs. The study is now published in the journal Science. 
 
 

There are two fundamentally different cell types in the brain, neurons and glial cells. The latter, for example, insulate the "wiring" of nerve cells or guarantee optimal working conditions for them. A new study led by the University of Bonn has now discovered another function in rodents: The results suggest that a certain type of glial cell plays an important role in spatial learning. The German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) was involved in the work. The results have now been published in the journal Nature Communications.
 

Dr. Niklas Klümper, resident at the Clinic for Urology and working group leader at the Institute for Experimental Oncology at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB), was awarded the C. E. Alken Prize in recognition of his outstanding scientific uro-oncological work. The 30 -year-old is investigating which patients with metastatic bladder cancer benefit from a new oncological form of therapy, the antibody-drug conjugates, in order to be able to use these promising drugs efficiently. His new findings were published this December in the renowned oncology journal Clinical Cancer Research.

The Medical Dean's Office will not be staffed from 24 December 2022 to 1 January 2023. Accordingly, there will be no office hours and no telephone availability. From 02.01.2023, all work areas of the Dean's Office will be available again as usual. We wish you a peaceful time, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Nerve cells need a lot of energy and oxygen. They receive both through the blood. This is why nerve tissue is usually crisscrossed by a large number of blood vessels. But what prevents neurons and vascular cells from getting in each other's way as they grow? Researchers at the Universities of Heidelberg and Bonn, together with international partners, have identified a mechanism that takes care of this. The results have now appeared in the journal Neuron.