Universität zu Köln

Weber, Josephine (2025). Exploration of immunomodulatory functions of ferroptosis. PhD thesis, Universität zu Köln.

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Abstract

During tissue homeostasis-associated cell death, the loss of cellular plasma membrane integrity can result in the exposure of the cytosolic content to the surrounding tissue, a distinguishing feature of necrotic cell death pathways. These cytosolic remnants can function as damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) and activate pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) on innate immune cells. Necrotic forms of cell death are therefore considered to be immunogenic forms of cell death, and the process wherein non-pathogen associated endogenous cellular proteins released through regulated necrosis cause inflammation has therefore been termed necroinflammation. Ferroptosis is a recently discovered form of regulated necrosis. Although ferroptosis has been proposed to represent an immunogenic form of cell death in a few pathologies, such as ischaemia/reperfusion injury (IRI), it remains poorly understood as to how exactly such an inflammatory ferroptotic signaling pathway might be carried out. However, it will be important to understand this cell death pathway and how it might trigger inflammation in order to either interfere with it for the prevention of tissue damage during IRI or to specifically enhance it for harnessing an anti-tumour immune response. In this project, a secretome released into the cellular environment upon ferroptotic plasma membrane rupture was investigated through mass spectrometry. Furthermore, this thesis aims to characterise and quantify cytokine responses of macrophages stimulated by ferroptotic supernatants through RNA-sequencing and enzyme-linked immunoabsorbant assays.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD thesis)
Translated title:	Title Language Immunomodulatorische Funktionen von Ferroptose German
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Weber, Josephine josephine-weber@gmx.de UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-791672
Date:	2025
Language:	English
Faculty:	Faculty of Medicine
Divisions:	CECAD - Cluster of Excellence Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases
Subjects:	Natural sciences and mathematics Medical sciences Medicine
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language Ferroptose German
Date of oral exam:	20 August 2025
Referee:	Name Academic Title Von Karstedt, Silvia Prof. Dr.
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/79167