All Projects

Funding: HZI, 17.149 EUR

Project Details:
SARS-CoV-2 infection in 20-month-old mice

Funding: Roland und Elfriede Schauer-Stiftung, 92.200 EUR

Project Details:
This project focuses on the identification and characterization of glycosylated helminth ligands (protein/lipid) of host C-type lectin receptors (CLRs), in particular Dectin-1, Dectin-2, CLEC12A and DC-SIGN. Further, we plan to investigate how the respective CLR/ligand interactions affect innate responses of host immune cells.

Funding: Niedersächsischen Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kultur , 50.000 EUR

Project Details:
Veterinarians and their employees have a relatively high risk of accidents at work, whether in the clinic, in the diagnostic laboratory or in research. Occupational accident and illness risks in the workplace can be reduced through systematic prevention. Only those who know the specific risks and exposures can minimize them. Safety and health during studies, and later at work in the long term, are the areas that everything should revolve around here. Experience has shown that occupational safety and infection prevention are not the most popular topics and are often only considered relevant once a risk factor has been acutely identified or an accident has already occurred.
The aim of this project is to generate a game-based and collaborative course that uses interactive and digital elements as well as a workshop-based face-to-face event to convey the topic of active occupational safety using memorable practical examples and thus accompany the participants throughout their studies. The aim is to create a profound understanding with long-lasting learning success.

Funding: TU München, 158.232 EUR

Project Details:
We hypothesize that the stabilization of the vascular system by low-dose ligands to activate the integrin αvβ3 should have beneficial effects on COVID-19 infected patients. We here investigate the effects of the synthetic ligand cylengitide and 29P for integrin αvβ3 in an animal model of SARS-CoV-2 infected hamsters in which the destruction of the vascular system in association with formation of neutrophil extracellular traps has previously been documented.

Funding: MWK, 220.890 EUR

Project Details:
CRISPR/Cas13-mediated antiviral therapy against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants: a novel technology to target viral genome

Results:

https://www.umg.eu/forschung/corona/cofoni/

Funding: Frauenhofer ITEM, 278.466 EUR

Project Details:
Frauenhofer ITEM-Therapeutic treatment against SARS-CoV-2 with inhaled VHH from BiondVax - Efficacy program in hamsters

Funding: MWK, 22.000 EUR

Project Details:
The importance of the highly conserved protein Nsp15 for the infection of cells by coronaviruses has been studied in detail in recent years. As an endonuclease, it rapidly recognizes and degrades both single-stranded (ssRNA) and double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). In addition, evidence from animal models suggests immunomodulatory properties of Nsp15 during early viral infection, leading to a delayed immune response. This process is ultimately involved in the development of acute respiratory failure, which is the main cause of COVID-19 mortality. As part of this funding program, we plan to develop new inhibitors of this protein through structure-guided design. Promising compounds will be characterized with respect to their ADME and physicochemical properties in order to obtain orally bioavailable compounds for the treatment of future viral pandemics.

Results:

https://www.umg.eu/forschung/corona/cofoni/

Funding: Frauenhofer ITEM, 331.375 EUR

Project Details:
Therapeutic treatment against SARS-CoV-2 with inhaled VHH from BiondVax - Efficacy Program in Hamsters

Funding: MWK, 50.000 EUR

Project Details:
Das SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-Type 2) ist der Erreger von COVID-19. Der bisherige Verlauf der COVID-19 Pandemie hat nachdrücklich gezeigt, dass eine koordinierte Bündelung von interdisziplinären und komplementären Expertisen notwendig ist, um die vielfältigen Aspekte der Biologie, der Pathologie und der Epidemiologie von SARS-CoV-2 zu entschlüsseln und die gewonnenen Erkenntnisse sowohl klinisch für die Behandlung von Patienteninnen und Patienten als auch für die Modellierung von Infektionsverläufen in der Bevölkerung einzusetzen. Die innerhalb der COFONI Technologieplattform betriebenen COVID-19-Tiermodelle soll dazu beitragen systematisch Daten zu sammeln, zu vergleichen und zu analysieren. Dies soll dazu beitragen, die aus klinischen Studien verfügbaren Daten zu bewerten und den wissenschaftlichen Fortschritt durch In-vivo-Studien kritisch zu reflektieren. Die weitere Verfeinerung und Entwicklung von Tiermodellen für COVID-19 wird zur Entwicklung von Impfstoffen und therapeutischen Wirkstoffen beitragen. Gegenwärtig laufen groß angelegte klinische Studien, in denen mehrere Kandidaten für präventive und therapeutische Maßnahmen am Menschen getestet werden. Die Ergebnisse dieser klinischen Wirksamkeitsstudien werden eine noch nie dagewesene Gelegenheit zur Rückvalidierung und Verfeinerung dieser Tiermodelle bieten.

Funding: Lionex GmbH, Braunschweig, 20.160 EUR

Project Details:
In the present project, the immunomodulatory property of purified proteins of Mycobacterium tuberculosis on the effect of neutrophils will be investigated. Lionex provides purified proteins for this purpose, which have been produced endotoxin-free. Based on the expertise on the antimicrobial effect and immunomodulatory effect of neutrophils, different assays will be performed at TiHo to characterize the effect of the proteins on neutrophils.

Results:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38124744/

Cooperation Partners:

Prof. Mahavir Singh, Lionex GmbH, Braunschweig

Prof. Rajko Reljic, St George's, University of London