ΣΕΜΙΝΑΡΙΑ ΤΜΗΜΑΤΟΣ  ΒΙΟΛΟΓΙΑΣ

Την Παρασκευή 01 Δεκεμβρίου 2023 και ώρα 10:00-12:00

Στην αίθουσα διαλέξεων

«Κωνσταντίνος Καστρίτσης»

10oς όροφος του κτιρίου Bιολογικών Eπιστημών

Ο Δρ. Georg Weitzer, Ph.D.

Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή του Πανεπιστημίου της Βιέννης,
Group Leader, Max Perutz Laboratories, Vienna Biocenter

Θα δώσει διάλεξη με θέμα:

“Regulation of cardiomyogenesis in murine cardiac stem cells by two non-transcription factors.

How the crosstalk between extra-cellular SPARC and the cytoplasmic intermediate filament protein desmin influences cardiomyogenesis in cardiac stem cells”

Abstract: “Cardiac stem cells are at the center of hopes and hype around stem cell-based therapies for many, so far incurable, cardiac diseases. However, we are confronted with more than twenty years of mainly fruitless clinical trials and, as of now, it is not possible to directly utilize stem cells to efficiently repair diseased myocardium. Thus, the hypothesis was put forth that cardiac stem cells (CSCs) exert a different, more paracrine function in the cardiac tissue and in that way contribute to homeostasis in the adult and ageing heart. In my talk, I shall present our recent findings regarding that hypothesis, using murine CSCs as a model system. We could demonstrate that CSCs secrete increasing amounts of matricellular protein SPARC, which promotes cardiomyogenesis during differentiation and influences EMT and TGF-β signaling in cardiac progenitor cells. Expression of SPARC seems to be regulated by the intermediate filament protein Desmin in a dose-dependent manner. This suggests a positive feedback-loop between Desmin and SPARC to promote cardiomyogenesis in CSCs. If these molecular processes can ever be harnessed for therapeutic approaches remains to be demonstrated.”