Research laboratory

We identify and validate cancer vulnerabilities, pinpointing the mechanisms that make targeted therapies possible.

Aims

We aim to advance understanding of tumor biology and the aging process — building the scientific foundation for preventive and therapeutic strategies.

Our Research

This approach begins at the molecular level: primarily overexpressed proteins with enzymatic activity or those altered by mutation are prime candidates for targeted therapeutic concepts.

Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) is a particularly well-suited model for these research questions.
The disease encompasses numerous aspects of tumor biology, including molecular heterogeneity, signaling pathway overactivation, inflammation, and multi-step pathogenesis. Furthermore, it arises through the sequential acquisition of genetic and phenotypic alterations that can also be observed in healthy aging individuals. CMML is therefore often regarded as a leukemic conversion of aging hematopoiesis, reflecting certain principles of the aging process. As demonstrated by in vitro studies using gene-edited induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) and analyses of our CMML cohort, the disease typically originates with a molecular alteration in the epigenetic machinery known as clonal hematopoiesis (CHIP), progresses through the additional acquisition of a second molecular alteration in the spliceosome via an myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)-like stage, before a third molecular alteration in the RAS signaling pathway drives the transition into a proliferative or acute myeloid leukemia (AML)-like end stage. Based on the multi-step pathogenesis of this disease, we characterize differences between the individual developmental stages using a multiomics approach. Through this approach, key insights into tumor biology and the aging process are ultimately to be generated, providing a rational basis for both prophylactic/preventive and therapeutic interventions.

The Biomarker group focusses on development and validation of biomarkers for diagnosis and prognostication of chronic diseases.

Aims

We develop tools that improve “tailored therapies” for diseases. Such diseases are mostly very rare and “tailored therapies” are most expensive.

Our Research

In the medical context, “biomarkers” refer to objectively measurable biological substances such as proteins, genes, or hormones that serve as indicators of impaired bodily functions or of impaired responses to treatments. They are determined in blood, tissue, or bodily fluids to diagnose diseases, predict the course of a disease, or predict an individual’s response to a specific therapy. In a broader sense, results from imaging procedures or functional investigations, or even patients’ own accounts of their condition, can serve as surrogates for biomarkers or support clinical-chemical biomarkers.
Good biomarkers are objectively, precisely, and reproducibly measurable. The number of available biomarkers has increased exponentially over the past 100 years. Biomarker research accounts for a large proportion of medical research output and is relevant to all fields of medicine.
In the context of our previous research group at the Medical University of Graz, we developed a new biomarker for the diagnosis and prognostication of pulmonary hypertension.

Locational advantages

The availability of mortality as an endpoint for prognostic biomarkers is better in Austria than in most countries, worldwide. This is due to the service of Statistik Austria. The surrogate endpoint “peak VO2” as derived from cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) has been validated in multiple diseases and Horst Olschewski has extensive experience with this sophisticated method.

Other fields of interest

Investigation of smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells to decipher the effects of bone morphogenetic proteins.

Graphical Abstract from Bordag N, Nagy BM, Zugner E, et al. Lipid Ratios for Diagnosis and Prognosis of Pulmonary Hypertension. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2025; 211: 1264-1276. DOI: 10.1164/rccm.202407-1345OC.

We address relevant questions in preventive, restorative, and endodontic dentistry. At the interface of basic science, clinical dentistry, and public health, we integrate laboratory-based cell biology, clinical endodontic research, and population-based analyses into a translational research approach.

Aims

• To evaluate the biological effects and safety of dental materials and clinical procedures
• To generate clinically relevant evidence for evidence-based conservative and endodontic dentistry
• To investigate oral health and dental care using population-based and routine data
• To foster interdisciplinary collaboration and support early-stage researchers

Our Research

Cell Biology and Dental Materials

A core research area is the investigation of the biocompatibility of dental materials and preventive procedures using in vitro cell culture models. Current projects include an SFU MED Research Funding Fund (FFF)–approved study evaluating the effects of different air-polishing powders on oral tissue cells. Outcomes include cell viability, proliferation behaviour, and pro-inflammatory responses at gene and protein levels after clinically simulated exposure times.

Endodontics

Research in endodontics focuses on root canal morphology, periapical health, and treatment-related outcomes, combining clinical data with advanced diagnostic approaches. Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is used to improve the assessment of complex root canal systems and periapical conditions, including the detection and morphological characterisation of additional canals such as the second mesiobuccal (MB2) canal in maxillary first molars.

Public Health and Health Services Research

In collaboration with Apollonia and other contractual partners, the department conducts public health–oriented dental research using large routine datasets. These projects address disease patterns, utilisation of dental services, preventive strategies, and oral health care needs across different population groups.

Collaboration

We welcome innovative ideas, interdisciplinary collaborations, and new team members, particularly in experimental, clinical, and data-driven dental research.
This three-dimensional CBCT reconstruction reveals the intricate root canal anatomy of a maxillary first molar, highlighting the MB1 and MB2 canal configuration that is central to our endodontic research.

The Influence of the Secretome of Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis on growth/viability and gene expression of Melanoma Cells

This project investigates how bacteria naturally residing on human skin influence the behavior of melanoma cells. The aim is to identify whether specific bacterial substances promote or inhibit tumor growth, thereby contributing to the development of improved therapeutic strategies for skin cancer.

BDNF as biomarker in Psychotherapeutic Medicine towards Precision Psychiatry (BDNF-BioPsy Study)

The BDNF-BioPsy pilot study examines whether specific genetic variants of the BDNF gene can predict treatment outcomes of cognitive behavioral therapy in a cohort of 300 patients. The aim is to replicate previous findings and to establish BDNF as a potential biomarker for therapy response in psychotherapeutic medicine.

Studies on the Glycocalyx

This study investigates the degradation of the endothelial glycocalyx in severe diseases (ex vivo) as well as the effects of commonly used intensive care medications on this protective layer (in vitro). For this purpose, a cell-based model is being established that simulates both static conditions and physiological blood flow, enabling the identification of damaging as well as protective effects.