- Department/Institute:
- Department of Medicine IV, LMU Hospital
- Subject area:
- Immunology, Immunothrombosis, Kidney disease
- Name of supervisor:
- Prof. Dr. med. Hans-Joachim Anders
- Number of open position:
- 1
- Project title:
- Molecular mechanisms of cholesterol crystal embolism (immunothrombosis-induced kidney infarction)
- Project time plan
- Full Doctoral Study-Model: 36 or 48 months
Sandwich-Model: 12 or 24 months - Language requirements:
- Strong English skills in speaking, writing and reading as English is the only language shared by all lab members.
- Academic requirements:
- We favour candidates from non-clinical backgrounds, that desire to develop an academic career in competetive research rather than clinical medicine/surgery.
Project description:
We have established a unique mouse model for cholesterol crystal embolism (CCE) allowing to unravel the pathophysiology of this potentially fatal complication of advanced atherosclerosis. As we inject CC into the kidney artery of mice, CCE is also a great model of acute kidney injury (AKI) and immunothrombosis-related tissue infarction, kidney infarction in this case. This defines crystal-induced immunothrombosis as the key pathomechanism, hence we are focussing on the role of platelets, neutrophils/NETs, and serum factors of thrombogenesis and -lysis. However, also necroinflammation can be studied to resolve infarction but may not resolve organ failure, if arterial thrombosis persists. The precise interventions will be discussed at the moment of contact. This project requires animal experimentation including microsurgery but training is available. Wildtype mice with drug interventions as well as transgenic mice with platelet- or neutrophil-specific gene deletions will be used. The advantage of the model is that it runs only 24h and even if we may start to look at later time points a relatively short model is an advantage when producing data. Previous publications using this model include Watanabe-Kusunoki, et al. Blood 2024, Zhao, et al. Kidney Int 2024, Yang, et al. Kidney Int 2023, Lyubenov, et al. Nephrol Dial Transplant 2022; Shi, et al. Circ Res 2020.
Several theses have been completed in the lab after generating data using this model.
To applicants: Please send following initial application documents to LMU-CSCOffice before 15th December:
- Resume and Research Motivation Letter
- Certificate of Proficiency in English, equivalent to IELTS Test Academic 6.5 (no module below 6) or TOEFL IBT 95, is required
- Two letters of recommendation directly sent from your current Supervisors/Professors to LMU-CSC Office
Contact LMU-CSC Office: csc.international@lmu.de