A key aspect of our clinical research activities is the conceptualization and execution of multi-center studies evaluating innovative device therapies, e.g., percutaneous left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) for stroke and bleeding prevention in patients suffering from atrial fibrillation. Moreover, we are interested in certain issues of stem cell research and cardiometabolic remodelling with a clear translational strategy to identify novel biomarkers or therapeutic targets.

We are highly involved in students’ teaching both, in the compulsory curriculum and the Jenaer Neigungsorientiertes Studium (JENOS). In addition, we participate in a teaching project for the development of a longitudinal curriculum for professionalisation in medical studies (LongProf), which receives public funding.

Prof. Dr. P. Christian Schulze
Am Klinikum 1
07747 Jena

Internal Medicine I (Cardiology, Angiology, Internal Intensive Care Medicine)

Research projects

CLEARANCE Study

Randomized comparison of oral anticoagulation therapy versus interventional closure of the left atrial appendage using a LAA closure device in patients with atrial fibrillation and status post intracranial bleeding

Principal investigator: PD Dr. Sven Möbius-Winkler
Boston Scientific 2020-2024

Die Therapie der 1. Wahl für Patienten mit Vorhofflimmern und Zustand nach intrakranieller Blutung ist unklar. Die CLEARANCE Studie ist eine multizentrische, prospektive, randomisierte Studie, welche in dieser Patientengruppe die Hypothese, dass der interventionelle Vorhofohrverschluss einer medikamentösen Schlaganfallprophylaxe mit NOAC (novel oral anticoagulant) überlegen ist, testet. Primärer Endpunkt ist ein kombinierter Endpunkt bestehend aus Tod, Schlaganfall, schwere Blutung, systemische Embolie.

Modulation of the stem cell plasticity in old age by sirtuins, oxidative stress and calcium signals

Experimental strategies to restore stem cell characteristics in ASC of patients of old age

Principal investigator: Prof. Dr. Maria Wartenberg
DFG 2020 - 2023

Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASC) are a source of adult stem cells in every age. But they lose their plasticity with increasing age of the patient.

Hypothesis: The reason of the loss of plasticity is the following signal cascade: sirtuin expression/activity → redox status (NO/ROS) → spontaneous Ca²⁺-oscillations. A correlation of these factors with the patient age should be evaluated and further investigated trough pharmacological/genetic modulation. It is the aim to restore the low plasticity of ASC of old patients due to suitable intervention.

Disease Management Program "Jena auf Ziel"

Principal investigator: apl. Prof. Dr. Oliver Weingärtner
DGFF 2020 - 2022

LDL-C target attainment in high risk patients in Germany is only 10 % and therefore insufficient. By means of better patient education, a cardiovascular reference card which documents LDL-C levels and LDL-C monitoring in the UKJ lipid outpatient clinic during follow-up all patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) will be titrated on guideline-recommended LDL-C targets (< 1,4 mmol/L, 55 mg/dl). In another part of the project endothelial function of each patient will be assess by the dynamic vessel analyser during a 12 months follow-up.

The role of ceramide accumulation in human induced pluripotent stem -cell-derived cardiomyocytes on mitochondrial oxidative stress and mitophagy

Projektleiter: Prof. Dr. Christian Schulze, Dr. Mohamed Bekhite ELsaied, Dr. Jasmine Wu

Seit 2019

Im Rahmen dieses Projektes soll der Einfluss der Ceramidakkumulation auf die Mitochondrienfunktion im Herzmuskel untersucht werden. Die Akkumulation von Ceramiden beeinträchtigte die insulinabhängige Phosphorylierung von Akt und störte die Gen- und Proteinspiegel der wichtigsten Stoffwechselenzyme. Die Inkubation von Kardiomyozyten mit einem spezifischen SPT-Inhibitor konnte einige dieser Effekte umkehren. Unsere Ergebnisse legen nahe, dass die Akkumulation von Ceramiden großen Einfluss auf Insulinresistenz, oxidativen Stress, Mitophagie und mitochondriale Dysfunktion im Herzen hat.

Depression and anxiety in elderly patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis

Häufigkeit, Einfluss der transfemoralen Transkatheter-Aortenklappen-Implantation (TAVI) sowie Effekte einer psycho-logischen Intervention

Principal investigators: apl. Prof. Dr. Marcus Franz, Dr. Gudrun Dannberg, Dr. Laura Bäz
Deutsche Stiftung für Herzforschung 2021 - 2023

Aim of the project is the assessment of the prevalence of depression and anxiety in elderly patients suffering from severe aortic stenosis. In a next step, the effects of treatment by transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) with respect to the dynamics of depression and anxiety as well as further clinical outcome parameter of physical and mental health will be evaluated. Finally the additional benefit of a psychological short-term intervention („PERI-TAVI“) in terms of optimizing recovery expectations and outcome should be analyzed in comparison to control group.

Further projects

PERKAT LV: Development und characterization of a novel, pulsatile left heart assist device-the PERKAT LV system
Principal investigator: PD Dr. Daniel Kretzschmar

BMBF 2018 – 2021
Generation of patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cell derived cardiomyocytes for individualized diagnosis and therapy

Principal investigators: Prof. Dr. Christian Schulze, Dr. Mohamed Bekhite ELsaied

IZKF 2020-2022
ECMOsorb: Impact of a VA-ECMO in combination with an extracorporeal cytokine hemadsorption system in critically ill patients with cardiogenic shock

Principal investigators: Prof. Dr. Christian Schulze, Dr. Franz Härtel

DFG / Cytosorbents GmbH 2021 - 2024

Selected publications

Bekhite MM, Gonzalez Delgado A, Menz F, Kretzschmar T, Wu JMF, Bekfani T, Nietzsche S, Wartenberg M, Westermann M, Greber B, Schulze PC: Longitudinal metabolic profiling of cardiomyocytes derived from human-induced pluripotent stem cells. Basic Res Cardiol 2020;115:37.
Bekfani T, Bekhite Elsaied M, Derlien S, Nisser J, Westermann M, Nietzsche S, Hamadanchi A, Frob E, Westphal J, Haase D, Kretzschmar T, Schlattmann P, Smolenski UC, Lichtenauer M, Wernly B, Jirak P, Lehmann G, Mobius-Winkler S, Schulze PC: Skeletal Muscle Function, Structure, and Metabolism in Patients With Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction and Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction. Circ Heart Fail 2020;13:e007198.
Bäz L, Wiesel M, Möbius-Winkler S, Westphal JG, Schulze PC, Franz M, Dannberg G. Depression and anxiety in elderly patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis persistently improves after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Int J Cardiol. 2020 Jun 15;309:48-54.
Kennel PJ, Liao X, Saha A, Ji R, Zhang X, Castillero E, Brunjes D, Takayama H, Naka Y, Thomas T, George I, Mancini D, Schulze PC. Impairment of Myocardial Glutamine Homeostasis Induced By Suppression of the Amino Acid Carrier SLC1A5 in Failing Myocardium. Circ Heart Fail. 2019 Dec;12(12):e006336.
Goldenberg JR, Carley AN, Ji R, Zhang X, Fasano M, Schulze PC*, Lewandowski ED*. Preservation of Acyl Coenzyme A Attenuates Pathological and Metabolic Cardiac Remodeling Through Selective Lipid Trafficking. Circulation. 2019 Jun 11;139(24):2765-2777. (*co-senior authors)