Pediatric Surgical Research

Our pediatric surgical research group (Prof. Holland-Cunz, MD) focuses on areas of developmental and immune processes which hold promise for clinical application. Albeit successful surgical approaches to structural or functional birth defects are available, treatment in these areas could be complemented by molecular and immunological methods to cure, ameliorate or prevent these defects.

A main project of our laboratory focuses on interactions of enteric neuronal innervation with the mucosal immune system in pediatric patients with intestinal innervation disorders (Hirschsprung's disease) and inflammatory bowel disease. Combining immune cell phenotyping, next generation sequencing and immune cell based in vitro assays we focus on the underlying mechanisms. Uncovering new mechanisms in neuro-immune regulation will help to improve personalized diagnostic and therapeutic intervention strategies of juvenile colitis patients (see Simone Keck, PhD).

Furthermore we investigate the influence of the intestinal microflora on physiological and pathological processes in the gut (see Viktoria Pfeifle, MD).

Another research focus in pediatric surgery is molecular targeting in surgical oncology (PD Stephanie Gros, MD). Our research centers on development of novel therapeutic approaches through identification of underlying mechanisms of tumor development and cell migration.

The basic science projects are complemented by clinical research in the fields of birth defects, neonatal surgery, pediatric traumatology and urology (Clinical Pediatric Surgical Research).