A Ph. D. fellowship is available at the Department of Physiological
Chemistry at the Biocenter of the University of Wuerzburg, Germany. In
our esearch program, we investigate the role of Advanced Glycation
Endproducts (AGEs) in Alzheimer's disease. The final target will be the
development and testing of AGE-inhibitors as therapeutic drugs for the
treatment of AD patients.
Advanced Glycation Endproducts (AGEs) are formed by a complex cascade
of dehydration, oxidation and cyclization reactions, subsequent to a
non-enzymatic reaction of sugars with amino groups of proteins
(²glycation²). Accumulation of AGE-crosslinked proteins throughout life
is a general phenomenon of aging, it is accelerated in diabetes and
renal failure.
In Alzheimer¹s disease, cerebral AGEs levels in post mortem tissue of
are significantly increased, with the highest immunoreactivity seen in
neurofibrilary tangles and ß- amyloid plaques. In vitro, formation of
insoluble, crosslinked ß-amyloid peptide and MAP-tau is accelerated by
AGEs. The AGE-inhibitor tenilsetam (effective against AGE crosslinking
in vitro and in animal models) significantly improved clinical and
psychometric scores in two phase II clinical trials with Alzheimer¹s
disease patients.
Our project deals with three major questions:
1. Which factors increase the AGE level in brains of Alzheimer¹s
patients ?
2. Which damaging effect do AGEs exert on (neuronal) cells ?
3. How do AGE-inhibitors interfere with AGE-mediated degenerative
processes ?
The site:
Würzburg: www.wuerzburg.de/index.eng.html
Capital of Lower Franconiam Inhabitants: 130.000. Located on both sides
of the river Main, amid huge parks and vine covered hills.
Nearly 50.000 students are living in Würzburg. The
Julius-Maximilians-University, newly established in 1582, is he alma
mater for more than 20.000 students. Six nobel prize winners have taught
there (among them W. C. Röntgen, who discovered X-rays in 1895).
The Biocenter: www.biozentrum.uni-wuerzburg.de
The founders of the Biocenter deemed a close cooperation of the
various disciplines vital in order to prevent a disintegration of
Biology. The Biocenter is an interdisciplinary institute for
scientific research and learning, comprising 6 biological, 1 chemical,
and 3 medical departments.
Individuals should have experience with biochemistry and cell culture
techniques, preferably in the field of neurobiology.
Please send a description of research accomplishments, curriculum vitae
and the names, addresses and telephone numbers of 2 references to:
Dr. Gerald Muench
Physiologische Chemie I
Theodeor-Boveri-Institut fuer Biowissenschaften
(Biozentrum) der Universitaet
Am Hubland
97074 Wuerzburg
Germany
