CeMM Research Report 2011 Research Report 2011 www.cemm.at Research Report 2011 Director’s Intro — About Josephinum — Research p. 4—6 p. 7—13 Section — Cancer — Organs — Infectious Disease — p. 14—59 p. 16—23 p. 24—29 p . 3 0 — 37 Inflammatory Disease — Pediatric Disease — p. 38—43 p. 44—49 Research Tools — Principal Investigators — p. 50—59 p. 60—75 PhD Program — Lecture Series — CeMMinar Series — p. 77—78 p. 79—83 p. 84—85 Conferences — Events — Retreats — Scientific p. 90—93 p. 94—100 p. 101—104 Advisory Board — Health Research Bond — p. 105—108 p. 110—111 Social Activities — Employees — Directory — p. 112—115 p. 120—123 p. 124–125 Publications 2011 — Social Media – Facts and p. 130—132 p. 133 Figures — Acknowledgements — How to reach CeMM p. 134 —137 p. 140 –141 p. 142 Year zero. That is what the President of the Many other important papers also helped to Of course these are recognitions for my entire Section for Mathematics and the Natural Sciences embellish this awesome year. My laboratory team and for the whole of CeMM, who, with Georg Stingl, one of the fathers of CeMM, agreed published important results in Cell that open their merciless sense of humour, made sure that to consider 2011. Because on March 16th, the the possibility of new targeting stratagems I stood nailed to the ground throughout the CeMM CeMM building was finally officially inaugurated for Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia. We also extravaganzas (who would know of these prizes by the Federal Minister of Science and Research identified a new class of innate immunity outside of Austria?). Beatrix Karl, the city counsellor Andreas Mailath- receptors (IFITs) and published it in Nature Pokorny and the President of the Austrian Immunology, likely to be in the long run one We also started, thanks mainly to the effort of Research Academy of Sciences Helmut Denk. There was of the most important discoveries of CeMM. CeMM Principal Investigator and faculty doyenne a memorable ceremony involving a choir of Robert Kralovics’ laboratory also published a Denise Barlow, a regular series of CeMM-inars CeMM students, a surprise aria by charlatan number of important papers, one of which (note the pun) with a constant stream of inter- Report and molecular medical rival Dulcamara (from described the frequency of genetic lesions in national speakers who all congratulated us on Donizetti’s Elisir d’Amore, bass sang by Lars the tumour suppressor gene p53 in leukemia, the new building and the particular atmosphere Woldt) and the band CeMMsons. On that day, which was published in the prestigious New at CeMM. We thank them all for coming and our biggest dream came true. And on behalf England Journal of Medicine. Sebastian Nijman’s sharing their ideas with us. I also thank the 2011 of the entire CeMM tribe, I would like to thank group used its cutting edge technology to iden- CeMM postdocs and PhD students who have everybody who has been involved. tify a mechanism by which cancer cells become contributed to making the series a success, with resistant to an important anti-cancer drug in both their passion and their many interesting Introduction by Giulio Superti-Furga But 2011 is also memorable for many other clinical use. All of these papers and others illus- questions. We also had four special lectures in reasons, making it a true annus mirabilis. Out trate the themes that are increasingly dominat- 2011. In May, George Q. Daley of Harvard Medical of all the papers that we published, one sticks ing CeMM’s research: personalized medicine, School held the fifth CeMM Karl Landsteiner out particularly: the discovery that an element clarification of drug mechanisms of action and Lecture on stem cells in the Festive Hall of the of the innate immune system, complement resistance, and elucidation of pathological mech- Austrian Academy of Sciences, which was a huge factor H, binds an oxidation epitope known as anisms at the molecular level, including new success. Also in May, Greg C. Simon, Senior Vice malondialdehyde, and prevents inflammation in diagnostic rationales and anti-infective processes. President for Patient Engagement at Pfizer gave the retina. Lack of this protective function a Special Lecture, a breath-taking, eye-opening correlates with age-related macular degeneration, But how are we doing overall and how does our view on patient engagement and drug develop- which is the leading cause of blindness in the efforts compare to work done in other places? ment. CeMM also had the privilege of hosting Western world. This is a truly spectacular result A Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) that includes the 7th Special Lecture In Memoriam Laura Stingl, from the laboratory of Christoph Binder and some of the most accomplished and highly active held by Harald zur Hausen, Winner of the 2008 his collaborators at CeMM and at the Medical cancer scientists and immunologists in the world Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine, for his University of Vienna, as well as in Germany, the came to assess our science. They concluded that pioneering work on cancer prevention by vacci- USA and the UK. The work was published as an the progress we have made in the interval since nation that triggered a real revolution in medical article in Nature, probably the most coveted and the last SAB meeting 18 months before was truly practice. The CeMM 8th floor lecture hall was cherished scientific publication spot in existence. impressive, which is significant praise given their filled to the rim with a fascinated audience, and What makes this special are many corollary facts: standing and their obligation to give balanced the event was unforgettable. Finally, in October, 1) it is the first Nature article on work mainly per- feedback to the Board of the Academy. As it is our we had the pleasure of hosting Bruce N. Ames, formed at CeMM, 2) it is the first Nature article first year of official life we decided to print the another pioneer of biomedical research. He not since the Medical University of Vienna was spun general part of the SAB report, which you will only spoke about drug safety, but also, passion- off from Vienna University seven years ago, find on page 105. ately, on the role of human nutrition in health 3) Christoph was on the first round of CeMM and disease. His talk left a strong mark on CeMM Principal Investigator hires and is younger than 40, Yet 2011 was an extraordinary year also in terms eating habits and dispelled several myths on food. 4) the first author, David Weismann is a first- of other forms of recognition. I was elected A heart-felt thanks to all the speakers! round CeMM PhD student, 5) the study has “Austrian of the Year” by an expert jury after obvious implications in medical diagnostics and readers of the daily newspaper “Die Presse” voted In addition, four technologies and tools that are possibly therapy. These facts beautifully illustrate for me from a short-list of three (thank you all!). likely to affect our research in a dramatic way the essence of CeMM. And the discovery is based The televised awards ceremony on National Day were established in 2011. Principal Investigators on an innovative technology practiced at CeMM was somewhat reminiscent of the Hollywood Robert Kralovics, Kaan Boztug and Christoph (chemical proteomics), the medical and immuno- Oscars, and full of suspense also for Eva Schweng, Bock introduced next generation sequencing logical expertise of one of its young leaders, who who manages CeMM’s public relations, and for protocols and pipelines at CeMM. In collaboration has a dual affiliation with the Medical University, Anita Ender, my assistant and CeMM’s admin- with the Medical University of Vienna, we have and is validated by an extensive international istrative genius-in-a-bottle, both of whom sup- established a common facility with two deep- collaborative network. In a generous recognition ported me through the whole thing. I also thank sequencing machines that are in constant use. On of this achievement, the new Minister of Science the jury, all voters, Die Presse for the prize, as the proteomics side, we established quantitation and Research, Karlheinz Töchterle, came to well as Henrietta Egerth and Klaus Pseiner, CEOs with chemical labels, allowing us, together with participate in our small internal celebration. So of the FFG funding agency for applied research, phosphoproteomics, to characterize samples in many reasons for a scientific director to be proud! who acted as sponsors. In this unforgettable year a much more precise and comprehensive way. I also won the “Prize of the City of Vienna for In 2011 we also established a private-public Natural Sciences”, an award previously received partnership with the biotech company Haplogen, by giants such as Lisa Meitner, Erwin Schrödinger co-founded by scientists at CeMM and at the and Konrad Lorenz. Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Ce — MM — — Research Report 2011 4 5 to generate a collection of human haploid cells campaign aimed at raising public awareness for with defined single gene defects. These cells have this fantastic treasure, which is sadly in desperate only one set of chromosomes, and therefore can need of renovation. The collection deserves to reveal the physiological consequences of single be rescued with 21st century conservation About Josephinum gene inactivation. This now enables the testing techno l ogies and displayed in the most worthy of the function of human genes in the petri dish, of all possible manners, giving it safe access something that was not feasible before. The to even larger numbers of visitors and pupils. The general idea collection already includes more than a thousand Therefore, the report contains an appeal for cell clones.