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The Institute
for Pharmaceutical Biology is
made up of Prof. Dr. Rolf Marschalek
and Prof. Theo Dingermann, who
focus their research upon genomic
instability. Prof. Theo Dingermann‘s/HD
Dr. Thomas Winckler‘s
research group is currently
using Dictyostelium discoideum
as a model organism to study
genomic instability, which is
mediated via transposable and
retrotransposable elements.
The long-term research goals
are to gain a better understanding
of the transposition mechanisms
and their application to the
human system. This understanding
should lead to the development
of novel gene therapeutic vectors
with highly specific integration
properties. Additional research
topics are the use of Dictyostelium
as an expression system for
recombinant proteins, the establishment
of an embryonic toxicity assay,
as well as the production and
characterization of monoclonal
antibodies directed against
plant derived, active substances.
(Dr. Ilse Zündorf is in
charge of the last mentioned
project.)
Prof. Dr. Rolf Marschalek’s
group is working on high
risk acute leukaemia, which
is based on chromosomal translocations
of the human MLL gene. (Research
topics are: the patho-molecular
mechanisms of leukemia development,
genetic instability, the mechanisms
of chromatin and gene regulation,
pathobiology and diagnosis of
this human disease). All scientific
work is carried out in a national
and international network of
collaborators which includes
the NGFN, the „Georg-Speyer-Haus“,
the Medicinal Clinic of Frankfurt,
along with several other universities
and institutions. Furthermore,
Prof. Dr. Rolf Marschalek, in
collaboration with Prof. Dr.
Thomas Klingebiel, established
an international diagnosis center
which performs genome analysis
for leukemia centers in Europe,
including Germany (Berlin, Munich,
Hanover), the Netherlands (Rotterdam),
Austria (Vienna) and Italy (Cagliari,
Monza).
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