User:Ventus55/Wolfgang-Michael Franz

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Wolfgang-Michael Franz (born 16 December 1959 in Munch) is a German internal medicine, cardiologist and professor at the Medical University of Innsbruck. He there leads the Clinic for Internal Medicine III for Cardiology and Angiology. He is known for his work in the fields of stem cell research and for his work in the context of the stem cell law in Germany. He also published works on internistic intensive-care medicine, cell regeneration after myocardial infarction and in combination with chronic heart failure, transplantation of stem cells in the infarction model and clinical studies on stem cell therapy after myocardial infarction and after chronic heart failure.

Biography

Franz studied medicine at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU) 1979-86. He was awarded a doctorate magna cum laude on a thesis about genetic markers in essential hypertonia. For his postgraduate study 1986-89 Franz obtained a scholarship of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), dealing with gene therapy. He continued his experiences on cardiac muscle specific gene expression in the transgene animal model at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry (virus research) 1989-91. His clinical career began with stations at the Deutsches Herzzentrum München 1991-92, at the University of Heidelberg (internal medicine) 1992-96, and at the Medical University of Lübeck 1996-2001. His specialist training include medical specialist for internal medicine in 1997, additional certifications for cardiology in 2000 and social internistic intensive-care medicine in 2007. Franz stood abroad at the Porto Allegre in 19984, at the Medical University of Rio de Janeiro and at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital Johannesburg in 1985, at the Department of Biology, University of California, San Diego (UCSD) 1986-89 and at the Institut Gustave Roussy, Villejuif in 1994. Franz was habilitated at the Medical University of Lübeck in 1999. His clinical career included assistance physician work at several clinics 1991-97, attending deputy at the Medical University of Lübeck and at the policlinic of the medical faculty of the LMU (Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik, Klinikum der Universität Munich). HIs clinical and medical tasks spanned cardiology, rhythmology, pulmology, endocrinology, nephrology, gastroenterology, toxicology, interventional cardiology, echo-cardiology and internistic intensive-care medicine. In 2013 he was appointed professor at the Medical University of Innsbruck. There he became head of the Clinic for Internal Medicine III, Cardiology and Angiology.

Scientific contribution

The work group of Wolfgang-Michael Franz focusses on the following areas of interest:

The spectrum encompasses basic science approaches with pluripotent stem cells (induced pluripotent stem cells, embryonic stem cells, pluripotent stem cells), decoding of cardiovascular signal paths and purification of cardiovascular progenitor cells for cell therapeutic approaches and tissue engineering, pre clinic approaches with adult stem cells (regenerator cells) from bone marrow as well as clinical studies. Thus substances are administered for the enhancement of mobilization (e.g. B. G-CSF, PTH, Erythropoietin) and homing (DPP-IV inhibitors, antidiabetics) of endogeneous regenerator cells, which are currently tested for prevention of ischemic cardiomyopathy of patients after acute myocardial infarction in „investigator-initiated clinical studies“ (SITAGRAMI, C-Cure).

Forward programming of pluripotent stem cells

The goal of Franz and his team is to understand the developmental pathways of cardiovasculogenesis in the model of pluripotent stem cell lines. He tries to use the information to direct pluripotent stem cells via gene expression or chemical induction into cardiovascular cell progenitors, or subtypes such as ventricular or pacemaker cells.[1][2][3][4][5] This process was called forward programming. Furthermore, trials were made to isolate specific subtypes of cardiovascular cells using cell-type specific promoters driving unique marker genes.[6][7][8][9] After characterisation of these purified cells they will be used for tissue engineering in order to generate myocardial grafts or cell transplants to support the failing myocardium.[10] [11][12][13][14] In order to remove the risk of teratoma formation, he tried to differentiate the pluripotent cells to cardiovascular progenitor cells, which only give rise to cardiac, smooth muscle and endothelial cell types. An approach which was taken to circumvent teratoma formation is the engineering of a functioning heart ex vivo containing differentiated cells with no tumorigenic potential. Franz and his team showed that Pacemaker cells can be generated from pluripotent stem cells an can be used
 to substitute the sinus node. They generated pacemaker cells from pluripotent stem cells to use them in the future as biological pacemakers to treat patients with sick sinus syndrome.[15]

Contribution to the public discussion of stem cell research

Before dealing with the legal framework for the handling of embryonic stem cells Franz worked with the production of embryonic stem cells from blastocyst after in vitro fertilization. The aim was to generate myocardial grafts or cell transplants to support the failing myocardium. Franz repeatedly expressed his criticism on the restrictive conditions in the German stem cell law (2002), also after the EU-compromise (2006). [16] His criticism was largely attributable to an amendment of the German stem cell law, concerning the effective date of stem cell import into Germany (2008).

Patents

  • Franz WM (2012): A combination therapy with the protein G-CSF and an inhibitor of the enzyme DPP-IV enables the regeneration of diseased cardiac tissue[17]
  • Franz WM, Engelmann M, Steinbeck G (2003): Use of g-csf for treating ischemia WO 2005049062 A1[18]
  • Franz, WM (2003): Remedies for ischemia[19][20]
  • Franz WM, Wobus AM (1996): Embryonal cardiac muscle cells, their preparation and their use. International Patent WO 96/16163[21]
  • Franz WM, Katus HA, Rothmann T (1996): Gene-therapeutic nucleic acid construct, production of same and use of same in the treatment of heart disorders WO 1997017937 A3[22]

Referee in biotechnology and stem cell research

  • 2002 Advisory board of the Deutscher Bundestag for stem cell legislation, Berlin
  • 2002 Ethik Council of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Hannover
  • 2002 Advisory board of the Bayerischer Landtag for stem cell legislation, München
  • 2003-2006 Advisory board AG “Bildung und Forschung” of the Deutscher Bundestag
  • 2004-2007 Advisory board of the “Ausschuss für Bildung, Forschung und
  • 2005 Technikfolgenabschätzung” of the Deutscher Bundestag
  • 2006-2007 Symposium „Research and ethical criteria within the scope of the stem cell
  • 2007 legislation“, Central Ethic Committee for Stem Cell Research, Berlin
  • 2008-2008 Advisory board for the Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung „Stammzellforschung“, München
  • 2009-2007/ European Commission, FP7-Health, Regenerative Medicine
  • 2009/2010 European Commission, FP7-Health, Regenerative Medicine Clinical Trials
  • 2011/2012 European Commission, REA-FP7-Health, Stem Cell Trials
  • 2012/2013 European Commission, FP7-HEALTH-2013-INNOVATION-1

Memberships

Wolfgang-Michael Franz is a board member of a number of national and international scientific societies and institutions and editorial boards.

  • International Society for Heart Research (ISHR), European Section (member)
  • European Society for Gene Therapy (ESC)[23] (member), Working Group on Cellular Biology of the Heart (Mitglied)

Awards

  • 1986 DFG Award for Research Fellowship in Molecular Biology
  • 1993 Oskar-Lapp-Forschungspreis of the Deutsche Gesellschaft. für Herz- und Kreislaufforschung, Heidelberg,[24] Thema: "Charakterisierung einer regulatorischen DNA-Sequenz mit entwicklungs- und herzmuskelspezifischer Aktivität im transgenen Mausmodell".
  • 1997 Young Investigator Award des American College of Angiology, (O. Müller). Thesis: The 2.3 kb SMHC promoter directs vascular-specific gene expression in transgenic mice.
  • 2007 Travel-Award of the Weinstein Conference in Indianapolis, USA, (M. Zaruba). Thesis: „Parathyroid hormone treatment after myocardial infarction in mice ameliorates late ischemic cardiomyopathy by enhanced homing of CD45+/CD34+/CXCR4+ stem cells”

Publications

Research Gate Publications

PubMed Publications

Broadcast and TV

Franz repeatedly hold interviews and had appearances in the German TV and broadcast, concerning stem cell research:

  • Talk with Prof. Wolfgang Franz, cardiologist about Stem cell research. Bayerischer Rundfunk, February 2008
  • IQ special: stem cells (discussion). Bayerischer Rundfunk, April 2008
  • Talk: stem cell research. Bayerischer Rundfunk 2, April 2009

External links

References

  1. ^ Robert David und Wolfgang-Michael Franz. From Pluripotency to Distinct Cardiomyocyte Subtypes. Physiology 27: 119-129, 2012.
  2. ^ Robert David, Juliane Stieber, Evelyn Fischer, Stefan Brunner, Christoph Brenner, Susanne Pfeiler, Florian Schwarz, and Wolfgang-Michael Franz.Forward programming of pluripotent stem cells towards distinct cardiovascular cell types. Cardiovascular Research (2009) 84, 263–272
  3. ^ Julia Jeannine Jung, Britta Husse, Christian Rimmbach, Stefan Krebs, Juliane Stieber, Gustav Steinhoff, Andreas Dendorfer, Wolfgang-Michael Franz, and Robert David. Programming and Isolation of Highly Pure Physiologically and Pharmacologically Functional Sinus-Nodal Bodies from Pluripotent Stem Cells. Stem Cell Reports, Vol. 2, 592–605
  4. ^ R. David1, C. Brenner, J. Stieber, F. Schwarz, S. Brunner, M. Vollmer, E. Mentele, J. Müller-Höcker, S. Kitajima, H. Lickert, R. Rupp and W.-M. Franz. MesP1 drives vertebrate cardiovascular differentiation through Dkk-1-mediated blockade of Wnt-signalling. Nature Cell Biology, vol. 10, 3. 2008
  5. ^ Robert David, Veronica Barbara Jarsch, Florian Schwarz, Petra Nathan, Moritz Gegg, Heiko Lickert, and Wolfgang-Michael Franz. Induction of MesP1 by Brachyury(T) generates the common multipotent cardiovascular stem cell. Cardiovascular Research (2011) 92, 115–122
  6. ^ Anna M. Wobus, Guan Kaomei, Jin Shan, Marie-Cecile Wellner, Ju ̈rgen Rohwedel, Ji Guanju, Bernd Fleischmann, Hugo A. Katus, Ju ̈rgen Hescheler and Wolfgang-Michael Franz. Retinoic Acid Accelerates Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Cardiac Differentiation and Enhances Development of Ventricular Cardiomyocytes. J Mol Cell Cardiol 29, 1525–1539 (1997)
  7. ^ Robert David, Florian Schwarz, Christian Rimmbach, Petra Nathan, Julia Jung, Christoph Brenner, Veronica Jarsch, Juliane Stieber, Wolfgang-Michael Franz. Selection of a common multipotent cardiovascular stem cell using the 3.4-kb MesP1 promoter fragment. Basic Res Cardiol (2013) 108:312 DOI: 10.1007/s00395-012-0312-2
  8. ^ R. David H. Theiss W.-M. Franz. Connexin 40 Promoter-Based Enrichment of Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Cardiovascular Progenitor Cells. Cells Tissues Organs 2008;188:62–69 DOI: 10.1159/000119408
  9. ^ M. MU ̈LLER, B. K. FLEISCHMANN,* S. SELBERT, G. J. JI, E. ENDL, G. MIDDELER, O. J. MU ̈LLER, P. SCHLENKE, S. FRESE, A. M. WOBUS, J. HESCHELER, H. A. KATUS, AND W. M. FRANZ. Selection of ventricular-like cardiomyocytes from ES cells in vitro. Selection of ventricular-like cardiomyocytes from ES cells in vitro, vol. 2000, 2540-48
  10. ^ Brenner C, Franz WM. Pluripotent-stem-cell-derived epicardial cells: a step toward artificial cardiac tissue. Cell Stem Cell. 2014 Nov 6;15(5):533-4. doi: 10.1016/j.stem.2014.10.007. Epub 2014 Nov 6.
  11. ^ Christoph Brenner, and Wolfgang-M Franz. The use of stem cells for the repair of cardiac tissue in ischemic heart disease. Expert Rev Med Devices. 2011 Mar;8(2):209-25. doi: 10.1586/erd.10.78
  12. ^ Engelmann MG, Franz WM. Stem cell therapy after myocardial infarction: ready for clinical application? Curr Opin Mol Ther. 2006 Oct;8(5):396-414.
  13. ^ Cajetan Lang & Sebastian Lehner & Andrei Todica & Guido Boening & Mathias Zacherl & Wolfgang-Michael Franz & Bernd Joachim Krause & Peter Bartenstein & Marcus Hacker & Robert David. In-vivo comparison of the acute retention of stem cell derivatives and fibroblasts after intramyocardial transplantation in the mouse model. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging (2014) 41:2325–2336 DOI 10.1007/s00259-014-2858-8
  14. ^ Ilias Dimomeletis,, Elisabeth Deindl,*, Marc Zaruba, Michael Groebner, Stefan Zahler, Saskia M. Lasloc, Robert David, Sawa Kostin, Markus A. Deutsch, Gerd Assmann, Josef Mueller-Hoecker, Michaela Feuring-Buske M, and Wolfgang M. Franz. Assessment of human MAPCs for stem cell transplantation and cardiac regeneration after myocardial infarction in SCID mice. Experimental Hematology 2010;38:1105–1114
  15. ^ Robert David, Florian Schwarz, Christian Rimmbach, Petra Nathan, Julia Jung, Christoph Brenner, Veronica Jarsch, Juliane Stieber, Wolfgang-Michael Franz. Selection of a common multipotent cardiovascular stem cell using the 3.4-kb MesP1 promoter fragment. Basic Res Cardiol (2013) 108:312 DOI: 10.1007/s00395-012-0312-2
  16. ^ Embryonale-Stammzellforschung-Positives-Votum-der-EUDtsch Arztebl 2006; 103(25): A-1722 / B-1472 / C-1424
  17. ^ RECARDIO exclusively licensed patent portfolio from LMU Munich
  18. ^ [1]
  19. ^ remedies for ischemia I
  20. ^ remedies for ischemia II
  21. ^ Patent WO 1996016163 A3
  22. ^ Patent WO 1997017937 A3
  23. ^ uropean Society for Gene Therapy
  24. ^ Oskar Lapp Price für Dr. W: Franz
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