GRK 3190:  Thrombo-Inflame – Dissecting and modulating megakaryocyte/platelet-driven thrombo-inflammation

• Subject Area: Medicine
• Term: since 2026
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 556462806

Platelets are key mediators of haemostasis, but also contribute to thrombotic disorders. Recent studies have found evidence for their additional roles as versatile effector cells of inflammation, innate immunity, and maintenance/regulation of vascular integrity. These newly recognized functions, referred to as thrombo-inflammation, are increasingly realized to be important drivers of complex diseases, including stroke, sepsis, and COVID-19. However, the underlying mechanisms and therapeutic relevance of thrombo-inflammatory processes are still poorly understood. Progress in this emerging field requires an interdisciplinary approach integrating classical MK/platelet biology, neurology, immunology, intensive care medicine, imaging, and data management. The RTG aims to train a new generation of scientists in the interdisciplinary research area of thrombo-inflammation and its pharmacological modulation. The biomedical research community at the University of Würzburg with its long-standing tradition in cardio- and cerebrovascular research is an ideal environment for this endeavour. Given the comprehensive and complementary expertise of the project leaders of our initiative, natural scientists, physicians and clinical scientists will have ample opportunities for multidisciplinary training. Conceptually, research of the RTG follows the principle that the thrombo-inflammatory capacity of platelets is determined by the function and interactions of their immuno-regulatory adhesion receptors and their proximal signalling networks. The eight projects of our proposal span basic science and translational studies and focus on the function, regulation and interaction of these receptors and signalling cascades in i) paradigmatic thrombo-inflammatory diseases like stroke and sepsis, ii) regulation of vascular integrity, iii) MK/platelet maturation in the context of thrombo-inflammation and ageing ("inflammaging") and iv) the interaction with immune cells, mesenchymal stem cells and cells of the vascular wall. We will apply genetic/humanised mouse models, antibody-based experimental therapeutics, patient-based diagnostics, single cell-transcriptomics and modern high resolution microscopy techniques as well as machine learning and deep learning methods to develop new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for thrombo-inflammatory diseases. Individual research and training plans, developed by the doctoral researchers and their thesis committees, will be the basis of the structured training programme. A broad range of flexible training modules provided by the "Graduate School of Life Sciences" (GSLS) of the University of Würzburg will facilitate the acquisition of additional interdisciplinary knowledge and soft skills to qualify for various career paths in academia or in the pharmaceutical industry.

• DFG Programme: Research Training Groups
• Applicant Institution: Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg
• Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Bernhard Nieswandt
• Participating Researchers: Dr. Sarah Beck; Professor Dr. Markus Bender; Professorin Dr. Anna Frey; Professor Dr. Georg Gasteiger; Dr. Tamara Girbl-Huemer; Professorin Dr. Katrin G. Heinze; Dr. Zoltan Nagy; Professor Dr. Michael Schuhmann; Professor Dr. Harald Schulze; Professor Dr. David Stegner; Professorin Dr. Alma Zernecke-Madsen