Short Report by Moritz List: Investigating inflammatory signaling in THP-1 derived macrophages (March-May)
This spring, I had the incredible opportunity to live and work in Nashville for a few months, thanks to the Max-Kade Foundation. Nashville truly embodies its spirit as “Music City” with its vibrant country culture and southern charm. Beyond the exceptional honky-tonks, Nashville is also known for its cutting-edge biomedical education and research at Vanderbilt University (VU) and the adjacent Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC).
My research focuses on targeted therapeutics to treat diseases more precisely and effectively. Using specific peptide ligands, these drugs target disease-relevant cells while leaving healthy cells unaffected. Coming from a background in biochemistry, it was enlightening to collaborate with Prof. Ray Harris’s lab at VUMC, allowing me to broaden my horizons and explore the medical implications of my research. With the help of Dr. Nada Bulus, I used RT-qPCR to investigate whether we could affect the inflammatory signaling of macrophages derived from THP-1 cells using compounds I previously synthesized at Leipzig University. Besides my time in the labs of VUMC and the bars on Broadway, I enjoyed the beautiful outdoors that Tennessee has to offer. Located close to the Smoky Mountains, there were numerous opportunities for hiking, camping, and rock climbing. A personal highlight was our road trip to the historic city of Paducah, Kentucky, where we managed to observe the totality during the solar eclipse.
