PolyP

Polyphosphate – a novel therapeutic Target and Biomarker for infectious and thromboembolic Diseases

Prof. Dr. Dr. Thomas Renné and Prof. Dr. Heiko Herwald

Faculty of Medicine / Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine

Co-applicant university: Lund University

Term: 2020–2022

The dysregulation of the immune response to microbial pathogens contributes to a great deal to the clinical symptoms seen in severely ill patients suffering from severe infections. Evidence has been accumulating that systemic activation of the human contact system, also known as the kallikrein kinin system, can lead to pathological inflammatory reactions combined with high morbidity and mortality. Polyphosphate is one of the most potent activator of the contact system. Notably, polyphosphates are evolutionary conserved and ubiquitously found in nature, including bacterial, fungal, plant, and mammalian cells. In this project it is aimed to unravel the molecular mechanisms that trigger local vs. systemic activation of the contact system by different types of polyphosphates. The outcome of these results may lead to novel therapeutic approaches in the treatment of severe infectious diseases.