University Hospital Heidelberg

5 ARTICLES PUBLISHED IN JoVE

Immunology and Infection

An Experimental Model to Study Tuberculosis-Malaria Coinfection upon Natural Transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Plasmodium berghei

Ann-Kristin Mueller¹, Jochen Behrends², Jannike Blank², Ulrich E. Schaible², Bianca E. Schneider²

¹Department of Infectious Diseases, Parasitology Unit, University Hospital Heidelberg, ²Priority Area Infections, Research Center Borstel

Tuberculosis and malaria are two of the most prevalent infections in humans and major causes of morbidity and mortality in impoverished populations in the tropics. We established an experimental model system to study outcome of malaria-tuberculosis coinfection in mice after challenge with both pathogens via their natural route of infection.

Medicine

In Vivo Tracking of Edema Development and Microvascular Pathology in a Model of Experimental Cerebral Malaria Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Angelika Hoffmann^1,2, Xavier Helluy^2,3, Manuel Fischer², Ann-Kristin Mueller^4,5, Sabine Heiland², Mirko Pham^1,6, Martin Bendszus¹, Johannes Pfeil^4,5,7

¹Department of Neuroradiology, Heidelberg University Hospital, ²Division of Experimental Radiology, Department of Neuroradiology, Heidelberg University Hospital, ³NeuroImaging Centre Research, Department of Neuroscience, Ruhr-University Bochum, ⁴Centre for Infectious Diseases, Parasitology Unit, Heidelberg University Hospital, ⁵German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), ⁶Department of Neuroradiology, University of Würzburg, ⁷Center for Childhood and Adolescent Medicine, General Pediatrics, Heidelberg University Hospital

We describe a mouse model of experimental cerebral malaria and show how inflammatory and microvascular pathology can be tracked in vivo using magnetic resonance imaging.

Medicine

Subcutaneous Trigeminal Nerve Field Stimulation for Refractory Facial Pain

Martin Jakobs¹, Sigrid Schuh-Hofer², Andreas Unterberg¹, Rezvan Ahmadi¹

¹Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Heidelberg, ²Center for Biomedicine and Medical Technology, University Hospital Mannheim

Treating chronic or neuropathic facial pain can be challenging when medical or standard treatment fails. Subcutaneous nerve field stimulation is the least invasive form of neuromodulation and is used for chronic back pain. We applied this technology to treat chronic and neuropathic trigeminal facial pain.

Developmental Biology

Simple Lithography-Free Single Cell Micropatterning using Laser-Cut Stencils

Soah Lee^*1,2,3, Huaxiao Yang^*1,2,3, Caressa Chen^*1,2,3, Sneha Venkatraman^1,2,3, Adrija Darsha^1,2,3, Sean M. Wu^1,2,3, Joseph C. Wu^1,2,3, Timon Seeger^1,2,3,4,5

¹Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, ²Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Stanford University, ³Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, ⁴Department of Medicine III, University Hospital Heidelberg, ⁵German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Heidelberg/Mannheim

This protocol introduces a lithography-free micropatterning method that is simple and accessible to those with a limited bioengineering background. This method utilizes customized laser-cut stencils to micropattern extracellular matrix proteins in a shape of interest for modulating cell morphologies. The procedure for micropatterning is demonstrated using induced pluripotent stem cell derived cardiomyocytes.

Cancer Research

Nuclei Isolation from Fresh Frozen Brain Tumors for Single-Nucleus RNA-seq and ATAC-seq

Ashwin Narayanan¹, Enrique Blanco-Carmona², Engin Demirdizen¹, Xueyuan Sun^1,3, Christel Herold-Mende⁴, Matthias Schlesner², Sevin Turcan¹

¹Neurology Clinic and National Center for Tumor Diseases, University Hospital Heidelberg, ²Bioinformatics and Omics Data Analytics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), ³Clinical Cooperation Unit Neurooncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), ⁴Division of Experimental Neurosurgery, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Heidelberg, INF 400, Heidelberg, Germany

Intra-tumoral heterogeneity is an inherent feature of tumors, including gliomas. We developed a simple and efficient protocol that utilizes a combination of buffers and gradient centrifugation to isolate single nuclei from fresh frozen glioma tissues for single nucleus RNA and ATAC sequencing studies.