Zschüntzsch lab
Heart & Brain Center Göttingen (HBCG)
In addition to clinical studies on new therapies for neuropathies, myopathies and myasthenia gravis, the working group pursues basic scientific goals in order to better understand the pathophysiology of neuromuscular diseases and identify new therapeutic approaches. We are also working on new imaging biomarkers.
- The main focus is on the one hand on chronic muscle inflammation, such as inclusion body myositis (IBM), one of the most common acquired myopathies in middle age, which leads to a considerable impairment of quality of life.
- On the other hand, the working group deals with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a serious disease in boys that leads to a considerably shortened life expectancy.
As a non-invasive and innovative technique, the group uses multispectral optoacoustic tomography (MSOT) to investigate changes in muscle structure, better differentiate patients with neuromuscular diseases and identify disease-specific parameters in the muscle. Over time, this should provide an imaging marker that objectifies the course of the disease and therapy monitoring of patients with neuromuscular diseases. Real-time magnetic resonance imaging (real-time MRI) is another innovative imaging technique available.
In the field of inflammatory neuro- and myopathies, the working group aims to improve diagnostic tests such as nerve and muscle ultrasound.
Other projects include research into the causes of other forms of muscular dystrophies such as facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy and neuromuscular transmission disorders such as myasthenia gravis.
In the area of preclinical research, the focus is on the establishment of 2- and 3-dimensional muscle cell culture models as well as research into pathophysiological signaling pathways in muscle inflammation and their influence on muscle structure and function.
In addition to the very basic scientific work, various studies are also being carried out to investigate other factors, such as the influence of diet and physical activity on the course and severity of neuromuscular diseases. The knowledge and education of patients about their medication is also being assessed in another study and is very important to us.
EU research project „Screen4Care“
Since 2021, the UMG has been involved in the EU research project "Screen4Care" under the leadership of PD Dr. Jana Zschüntzsch, which was initiated by the two scientists of the Göttingen Campus, Prof. Frauke Alves (Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine) and PD Dr. Jana Zschüntzsch (UMG). We are currently working together with the international public-private consortium and the 37 cooperating partner institutions (universities, institutes, companies and organizations) on the goals and implementation of the innovative research project. Screen4Care has set itself the goal of shortening the path to the diagnosis of rare diseases by means of genetic newborn screening (NBS) in combination with advanced analysis methods such as artificial intelligence and imaging techniques. The "digital" approach with algorithms should help to identify patients at an early stage of the disease more quickly via electronic health records (EHR). In addition, the use of high-resolution imaging strategies, such as multiphoton imaging, should improve the algorithms as new biomarkers.
The research group
The research group for cross-system research on neuromuscular diseases is headed by PD Dr. med. Jana Zschüntzsch.
The group currently comprises 30 members (scientists and doctors, doctoral students in medicine and biology as well as medical-technical assistants). Under the leadership of PD Dr. med. Jana Zschüntzsch, Dr. med. Stefanie Glaubitz (specialist), Dr. med. Rachel Zeng and Dr. med. Stefanie Meyer (assistant physicians) are involved in the conception and implementation of basic scientific and clinical research projects as well as the support and guidance of doctoral students. Continuous laboratory expertise is ensured by the two technical assistants Iris Iben and Lisa Barski.
The working group was and is funded by the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI 2 JU), a joint undertaking of the European Union and the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), the German Research Foundation (DFG), the Else-Kröner-Fresenius Foundation and the German Muscular Dystrophy Society (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Muskelkranke e.v.).
Collaborations
- Prof. Dr. Frauke Alves, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences
- Prof. Dr. Timo Beetz, Institute of Biophysics, Georg August University Göttingen
- PD Dr. Ferdinand Knieling, University Hospital Erlangen
- Prof. Dr. Tobias Ruck, University Hospital Düsseldorf
- PD Dr. Malte Tiburcy, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Medical Center Göttingen
- Screen4Care consortium members
- Members of the Neuromuscular Center of the UMG
- Members of the Myositis Network e.V.
Contact
contact information
- telephone: +49 551 3965683
- e-mail address: j.zschuentzsch(at)med.uni-goettingen.de