FERROpath

FERROpath is an interdisciplinary biomedical consortium funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research bringing clinicians, molecular- and cell biologists, and bioanalytical chemists from Dresden, Munich, Regensburg, and Essen together to uncover common pathomechanistic signatures and to develop urgently needed biomarkers of ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) occurring during conditions of high clinical relevance such as stroke, acute kidney injury, and tissue damage upon organ transplantation.

Within FERROPath our team’s innovative approach is centred on a shared pathophysiological feature of IRI which is tissue degeneration via ferroptotic cell death. Ferroptosis, a form of regulated necrotic cell death causing substantial and highly specific pathobiochemical alterations in the lipidome of tissues experiencing IRI. One of the hallmark of ferroptosis is accumulation of oxidized phospholipids. Hence, putting the focus on lipids, we aim to define the lipidomic fingerprint of IRI using our broad expertise in bioanalytical mass spectrometry of native and oxidized lipids. Furthermore, we will use this knowledge to identify ferroptosis-linked biomarkers for monitoring of disease progression, therapeutic outcomes, and screening and validation of novel ferroptotic inhibitors in the treatment of IRI-linked diseases, as well as in the preservation of transplant organs.