Fellows and alumni

ETH Host: Prof. Dr. Jess Snedeker, D-HEST
Clinical Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Mazda Farshad, Balgrist University Hospital

Spinal fusion aims to stiffen instable spine segments and is currently considered the most effective treatment for degenerative spinal conditions that cause segmental instability. However, spinal fusion still carries a significant risk of failure and complications, such as adjacent segment degeneration, screw loosening, pseudarthrosis or implant failure.

Therefore, a new treatment modality called “vertebropexy” was recently developed by Farshad et al. The goal is to achieve targeted stabilization of the spine by inserting ligamentous allografts to counteract instability in clinically relevant directions, without immobilizing the segment. To become a broadly accepted surgical alternative, the new technique must restore the original stability; provide superior long-term results; show a high cost-effectiveness and be applicable fully predictable, easy, and safely. The latter is the primary aim of this biomechanical project: Stabilization will be implemented by augmented ligamentous human donor allografts, which are attached to the bony spine with different devices that should provide optimal ligament tension. Based on these research findings, artificial ligaments might be developed to further refine this technique in the future.

ETH Host: Prof. Dr. Roger Schibli, PD. Dr. Cristina Müller, D-CHAB
Clinical Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Ali Afshar-Oromieh and Prof. Dr. Axel O. Rominger, Dept. of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Bern (Inselspital)

Targeted radionuclide therapy delivers ionizing radiation to tumor cells through the accumulation of intravenously injected radiopharmaceuticals. In the case of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, the currently used agent [¹⁷⁷Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 is limited by side effects from the accumulation of radioligand in non-tumor tissues and the moderate biological efficacy of ¹⁷⁷Lu.

To address these shortcomings, [¹⁶¹Tb]Tb-SibuDAB was developed at ETH Zürich/Paul Scherrer Institute. An added albumin-binding moiety enhanced the blood circulation time and, hence, increased the tumor dose while reducing off-target accumulation. Open questions remain as to the overall tolerability of [¹⁶¹Tb]Tb-SibuDAB and its effectiveness in neutralizing bone metastases. Our objective is to conduct a tolerability and efficacy study of [¹⁶¹Tb]Tb-SibuDAB in two different rodent models. If tolerability and efficacy can be ascertained, [¹⁶¹Tb]Tb-SibuDAB will be introduced into clinical use in Switzerland in a phase I trial.

ETH Host: Prof. Dr. Ferdinand von Meyenn, D-HEST
Clinical Supervisor: PD Dr. Matthias Betz, Dept. of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, University hospital of Basel

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) can directly dissipate energy as heat in response to cold exposure. Its presence is variable in adult humans but is clearly associated with a metabolically favorable phenotype, i.e. a reduced risk of diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia and vascular disease. Despite a decade of research in human BAT, it is still unclear how BAT improves metabolic health.

We hypothesize that BAT may exert a metabolic buffer function by postprandial activation. It may take up metabolically unfavorable metabolites such as glucose, free fatty acids or branched chain amino acids from the blood and thus blunt their peak plasma levels. To test this hypothesis, subjects with and without active BAT will be enrolled into a clinical study. Additionally, the cellular composition of human BAT in relation to its metabolic activity will be established. The overarching goal of this proposal is to improve our understanding of BAT physiology and to elucidate why active BAT is beneficial for cardiovascular health.

ETH Host: Prof. Dr. Niko Beerenwinkel, D-​BSSE
Clinical Supervisor: Prof. Dr. med. Thorsten Zenz, Dept. of Medical Oncology and Haematology Clinic, University Hospital Zurich

Conventional tumor risk stratifications are performed at diagnosis and do not consider the evolution of the tumor during treatment, which gives rise to new tumor subpopulations and the emergence of resistant clones. Lymphomas are prototypical for this shortcoming.

Here, we aim to characterise evolution and emergence of novel therapy-resistant disease clones during the treatment and to employ this information for updating patient risk. We will reconstruct the initial clonal hierarchy of lymphoma patients through whole-genome and single-cell-DNA sequencing and follow-up the disease clones through circulating tumor DNA. We will integrate the molecular results with clinical data using Bayesian networks to understand how clonal evolution can predict individual patient trajectories. The dynamic risk profiling will allow for more personalised follow-ups, reducing treatments for low-risk patients while focusing on subjects at risk, aiming at outcome improvements.

ETH Host: Prof. Dr. Jörg Goldhahn, D-HEST
Clinical Supervisor: Prof. Dr. med. Jens Eckstein, PhD, CMIO, University Hospital Basel

In this project, a set of molecular heat strain markers from qualitative sweat analysis is investigated for the first time. The project is embedded into an interdisciplinary, clinical exploration study on the physiology of the human heat strain using a novel wearable device. Once fully investigated, the detection of molecular markers in sweat may optimize and personalize heat strain monitoring, if incorporated in wearable devices. These molecular sweat markers may prevent individuals from severe health threats such as heat shock and potentially increase occupational health and productivity in the long-term. Further, those molecular sweat markers have a great potential to be implemented in a variety of medical specialties such as Endocrinology and Psychiatry later.

ETH Host: Prof. Dr. Christian Wolfrum, Institute of Food Nutrition and Health, D-HEST
Clinical Supervisor: Prof. Dr. med. Thomas Frauenfelder, Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Zurich

The aim of this research project was to analyze the potential impact of white adipose tissue in thermogenesis as well as finding clinical, lab and demographic parameters which might have an impact on white adipose tissue activity.  In our big retrospective study (including >12’000 PET/CT scans), we found several parameters which affect the activity of white adipose tissue: BMI, age, sex, diabetes type II and blood glucose among others. In our prospective study, there was no significant difference of white adipose tissue activity in PET/CT during cold stimulation of the patients compared to PET/CT scans with regular room temperature.

ETH Host: Prof. Dr. Sebastian Kozerke, Institute for Biomedical Engineering, D-​ITET
Clinical Supervisor: Prof. Dr. med. Robert Manka, Heart Center, University Hospital Zurich

Our project aimed at imaging cardiac metabolism in heart failure by means of dynamic nuclear polarization. The technique uses C13 labeled pyruvate that has (other than naturally occurring pyruvate) a magnetic moment and can therefore be hyperpolarized and depicted using magnetic resonance imaging. Since pyruvate is part of the human sugar metabolism, it is well tolerated and is further metabolized by aerobic or anaerobic metabolic pathways. By not only imaging pyruvate, but also its downstream metabolites, the approach allows describing the energy supply and metabolism of the diseased human heart.