Berlin Center for Translational Vascular Biomedicine

Michael Potente wants to find out what makes blood vessels grow. For his work on the metabolic regulation of such growth, he has been selected as the recipient of the 2023 Judah Folkman Award from the North American Vascular Biology Organization.

Yoichiro Sugimoto has headed the MDC lab “Molecular mechanisms of environment sensing” since July 2022. His team investigates how cells respond to changes in oxygen levels in their environment and what role disturbances to this system play in certain diseases.

Daria Bunina has been the head of a new lab at the MDC since July 2022. Her team is researching how epigenetic factors affect cell differentiation. When errors in this process occur, cardiovascular diseases and neurodevelopmental disorders can result.

Blood vessels must adapt their growth to the nutrients available in their surroundings so that they can keep organs adequately supplied. A team led by Michael Potente has identified two proteins that are important for this process and published their findings in "Nature Metabolism".

Cells that line the inner surface of blood vessels form a crucial barrier between blood and the surrounding tissue. Scientists at the Berlin Center for Translational Vascular Biomedicine have now reported in „Nature Cell Biology“ how these endothelial cells maintain their stable resting state.

The Käthe Beutler Building has opened. Germany’s Federal Research Minister, Berlin’s Governing Mayor, the Chairman of the Jewish Community of Berlin and many guests inaugurated it. Around 200 specialists will work at the Berlin Center for Translational Vascular Biomedicine – for the benefit of patients.