GRK 1902:  Intra- and Interorgan Communication of the Cardiovascular System

• Subject Area: Medicine
• Term: from 2013 to 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 220652768

The International Research Training Group "Intra- and interorgan communication of the cardiovascular System" is a research alliance of the Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf and the Cardiovascular Research Center at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, USA, dedicated to promote international training of doctoral researchers.Over the last decades it became evident that cardiovascular function is not only the result of a signaling among typical cardiovascular cells such as cardiomyocytes, endothelial and smooth muscle cells. Rather an extensive crosstalk with adjacent parenchymal cells as well as inflammatory cells, erythrocytes, and platelets occurs. Moreover, the vasculature provides a major communication route for hormones and other humoral factors released by many tissues enabling long distance communication of remote organs. For example, adipokines and myokines, released from adipose tissue and skeletal muscle, may affect cardiovascular function in health and disease. Otherwise, the failing heart releases many cytokines and growth factors, which affect remote organs (e.g. muscle, adipose tissue etc.). Thus, extensive intra- and interorgan communication of the cardiovascular system provides the basis for control of organ physiology and pathology on a systemic level. During the successful first funding period of IRTG three key research areas, addressing novel mechanisms of intra- and interorgan communication crystalized for the second funding period: Four German- American projects will investigate ATP-pannexin1 mediated communication of blood vessels, erythrocytes, platelets, and fibroblasts, and its function in lung injury and heart and kidney fibrosis. Four projects address inflammatory mechanisms in the crosstalk of heart and blood vessels with skeletal muscle, adipose tissue, and inflammatory cells in heart failure and atherosclerosis. Three projects arranged under the topic cardiovascular remodeling will elucidate mechanisms of lymph angiogenesis, cardiac hypertrophy, and aortic aneurysm formation. An extensive thematic overlap between the research areas will create extensive synergism across the IRTG. The educational program of the IRTG provides doctoral researchers with a profound knowledge in the field of integrative cardiovascular biology at the interface of basic research and clinical science. Training in key skills, guest seminars, practical and clinical courses as well as the obligatory exchange program provide important elements of the educational program. In summary, the IRTG offers a highly cooperative and international research environment and aims to promote excellent doctoral theses in medicine and natural sciences.

• DFG Programme: International Research Training Groups
• International Connection: USA
• Applicant Institution: Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf
• Participating Institution: IUF - Leibniz-Institut für umweltmedizinische Forschung gGmbH
• IRTG-Partner Institution: University of Virginia
• Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Axel Gödecke
• IRTG-Partner: Spokesperson: Professor Norbert Leitinger, Ph.D.
• Participating Researchers: Professor Dr. Reza Ahmadian; Professor Dr. Joachim Altschmied; Professorin Dr. Miriam Margherita Cortese-Krott; Professorin Dr. Margitta Elvers; Professor Dr. Jens W. Fischer; Professorin Dr. Maria Grandoch, from 4/2017 until 3/2018; Professorin Dr. Judith Haendeler; Professor Dr. Malte Kelm; Professor Dr. Eckhard Lammert; Professor Dr. Lars Christian Rump; Professor Dr. Jürgen Schrader; Professor Dr. Johannes Stegbauer