International Symposium
The Research Training Group (RTG) 2408 of the Faculty of Medicine at Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg is organising a symposium with international speakers from 5 to 7 May 2025.
The event entitled ‘MAPBio - Maladaptation at Physiological Barriers: Insights and Outlooks’ offers exciting lectures, a poster session and a city tour for guests, among other things. Further information on the programme can be found here and if you are interested you can register here.
Background information
The Research Training Group (RTG) 2408 prepares young scientists for their future role in research in a structured programme. The RTG is funded by the German Research Foundation.
Chronic diseases represent a major health threat and an increasing burden on healthcare systems. Central mechanistic aspects of chronic diseases are cellular maladaptations and misdirected cellular communication at physiological barriers. Highly specialised cells, such as endothelial or epithelial cells, define physiological barriers. Dysregulation and dysfunction of these cellular barriers can lead to a disease-promoting microenvironment. The latter is characterised by a specific secretome and the activation and maladaptation of local and inflammatory cells. The perpetuation of the maladaptive process is also important for the chronification of the disease. Mechanistically, perpetuated disease processes depend on altered cellular signalling that leads to molecular fixation of the disease process. Currently, our understanding of the molecular changes that underlie maladaptation to physiological barriers and lead to chronic disease is limited.
As part of the Research Training Group, the RTG aims to characterise disease-defining mismatch processes at endothelial and epithelial barriers. Using systematic approaches, we analyse gene expression, molecular signalling and molecular networks (e.g. the NF-κB system) in endothelial and epithelial cells and their effects on barrier function.