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PD Dr. med. Christina Weisheit

PD Dr. Christina Katharina Weisheit works as a consultant Anesthesiology in the Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine (head of department: Prof. Dr. Mark Coburn) at the University Hospital Bonn. Having studied human medicine at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, PD Dr. Weisheit completed her training as a specialist in anesthesiology at the University Hospital in Bonn (former head of department: Prof. Dr. Andreas Hoeft).
After completing her BONFOR-funded doctorate on the topic "The role of TNF-α in the function and migration of neutrophils in bacterial urinary tract infections in the murine model" in the working group of Prof. Dr. Christian Kurts, she remained affiliated with the Institute for Experimental Immunology and Molecular Medicine through a scholarship from the Else-Kröner Research College in Bonn and a BONFOR junior research group.
Since 2019, PD Dr. Weisheit is Co-PI in a project of the SFB TRR259 on the topic "Analysis of the immune response and the influence of the microbiome in calcifying aortic valve stenosis", which is now successfully entering the second funding period. In 2022 she habilitated on the role of the innate immune response in bacterial and sterile inflammation.
The research focus of her group is to investigate the underlying immunological mechanisms that contribute to the development and progression of left ventricular hypertrophy and aortic valve stenosis.
With the help of multiparameter FACS analysis, immunofluorescence microscopy and molecular biological methods, the different phases of disease development and the immune response are analyzed.
Through the newly gained knowledge and the interdisciplinary work in the research groups,
PD Dr. Weisheit aims at significantly contributing to defining new biomarkers and developing immunomodulatory therapy approaches.
PD Dr. Weisheit belongs to the first group of ACCENT scholarship holders in Bonn.

News

DFG funding for the research project on the effects of aging on the immune system and the development of aortic valve stenosis

The heart functions as an essential organ that regulates blood flow in the body to ensure the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the organs. To ensure a constant and controlled blood flow, regulation in the heart takes place through cardiac chambers and heart valves. The aortic valve plays a central role in this and is located between the left ventricle and the aorta, acting as a gate to the body and thus prevents the retrograde flow of blood from the aorta back to the heart.

Dysfunction of the aortic valve can lead to aortic valve stenosis, which can have serious effects on those affected. Aortic valve stenosis is a serious cardiovascular disease that occurs more often in older people and is usually fatal if left untreated. The treatment of severe aortic stenosis has so far been exclusively surgical, invasive and reactionary. To date, there are no preventative or medical treatment options. It is therefore of great importance to elucidate the underlying pathomechanisms in order to foster advances in early diagnosis and therapeutic approaches.

The research project of PD Dr. Christina Weisheit from the Department of Anesthesiology and Operative Intensive Care Medicine at the University Hospital Bonn, in collaboration with Dr. Friedrich Felix Hoyer and Prof. Dr. Holger Winkels from the Department of Internal Medicine III at the University Hospital Cologne is receiving funding of 600.000 euros from the German Research Foundation (DFG). The main aim of the project is to analyze various aspects of aging on the innate and adaptive immune system that influence the development and progression of aortic valve stenosis. Aging has a systemic effect on the organism and are among the most important risk factors for the development of aortic valve stenosis. One in eight people over the age of 75 develops aortic stenosis (Nkomo et al. Lancet 2006). The changes in the cardiovascular system include stiffening of the aortic valve leaflets and remodeling processes of the heart muscle.

The knowledge gained should contribute to a better understanding of the pathomechanisms and form the basis for the development of novel therapies for this patient population. “With this research project, we would like to make a significant contribution to the development of differentiated biomarkers and immunomodulatory therapeutic approaches for the future treatment of older patients with aortic valve stenosis,” says PD Dr. Weisheit. The project complements the existing DFG Collaborative Research Center TRR259 on campus.

The knowledge gained should contribute to a better understanding of the pathomechanisms and form the basis for the development of novel therapies for this patient population. “With this research project, we would like to make a significant contribution to the development of differentiated biomarkers and immunomodulatory therapeutic approaches for the future treatment of older patients with aortic valve stenosis,” says PD Dr. Weisheit. The project complements the existing DFG Collaborative Research Center TRR259 on campus.

The DFG acts as a self-governing organization for science in Germany and promotes research of the highest quality at universities and other research institutions. Its focus is on knowledge-led research, with around 3.9 billion euros available in 2022, mostly financed by the federal government (70.4 percent) and states (28.7 percent).

Contact

PD Dr. med Christina Weisheit

Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine

Venusberg Campus 1

53127 Bonn

Christina.weisheit@ukbonn.de