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Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Muhammad Haroon Shaikh has received project funding of €393,693 from the German Research Foundation (DFG). His research aims to identify the role of extracellular vesicles from intestinal epithelial cells (IEC-EVs) in the development of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGvHD) following allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Understanding how IEC-EVs influence immune responses could pave the way for targeted therapies to prevent or mitigate aGvHD, reducing complications and improving survival rates. Furthermore, the study could identify biomarkers for early diagnosis, leading to faster diagnoses and better patient care.
Würzburg. Allogeneic stem cell transplantation is often a life-saving treatment for patients with severe blood disorders such as leukemia or certain cancers. In this procedure, healthy stem cells from a donor replace diseased bone marrow and restore the immune system. However, the treatment also carries risks. One of the most severe complications is acute graft-versus-host disease (aGvHD), where the transplanted immune cells attack not only diseased but also healthy cells of the recipient. This can lead to painful and life-threatening inflammation, particularly in the intestines.
Dr. Muhammad Haroon Shaikh from the Medical Clinic and Polyclinic II at the University Hospital Würzburg (UKW) aims to contribute to better managing this dangerous complication through his research. The German Research Foundation (DFG) is supporting his project titled "Impact of intestinal epithelial cells extracellular vesicles in regulating acute intestinal graft-versus-host syndrome" with an individual grant of €393,693.
Influence of Intestinal Cell Particles on Immune Responses
The biotechnologist and his team focus on extracellular vesicles—tiny particles released by epithelial cells in the intestine. These cells form the protective barrier of the intestine and regulate the exchange of nutrients and immune defense molecules. Scientists suspect that extracellular vesicles play a key role in activating donor immune cells, thereby contributing to the development of aGvHD. A better understanding of these interactions could lead to new diagnostic and treatment methods.
Shaikh and his team analyze the composition of extracellular vesicles and investigate how they influence the immune system. Their goal is to understand how these vesicles contribute to immune activation and the progression of aGvHD. Additionally, EVs could serve as biomarkers—early prognostic signals that help detect the risk of aGvHD at an early stage. Such findings would be a significant step toward personalized medicine. Physicians could assess individual risks more precisely and tailor treatments to better protect patients.
Improving Stem Cell Transplantation Outcomes with New Therapeutic Approaches
"By employing advanced multi-omics analyses, imaging techniques, and functional studies in mouse models, this research could provide crucial insights into the mechanisms of acute GvHD and explore new therapeutic approaches to mitigate its effects, ultimately improving outcomes for transplant patients," explains Haroon Shaikh. "At the same time, we aim to investigate new therapeutic strategies to reduce the impact of this severe complication and ultimately enhance treatment outcomes for transplant patients."
However, the findings may have implications beyond stem cell transplantation. "By better understanding the interplay between the gut and the immune system, as well as the role of EVs in immune regulation, our research could also lead to new treatment approaches for intestinal diseases such as Crohn's disease and colitis," Shaikh adds.
The scientist has been studying the immunological mechanisms of aGvHD for many years. He has extensive expertise in immunology, hematology, multi-omics technologies, and advanced imaging techniques. Additionally, he brings valuable experience from working with in vivo transplantation models and biomarker discovery.
About Haroon Shaikh
Haroon Shaikh earned his biotechnology degree with distinction in Karachi, Pakistan, and joined the research laboratory of Prof. Dr. Dr. Andreas Beilhack at the Medical Clinic and Polyclinic II at University Hospital Würzburg as a doctoral candidate in February 2017. The team led by Andreas Beilhack studies immune mechanisms to combat cancer, infections, and inflammatory diseases to develop new diagnostic and therapeutic methods. Together with researchers from the DFG-funded Collaborative Research Center Transregio 221 "GvH-GvL," they are working intensively to advance these goals.
Shaikh has already made significant discoveries about how cells outside the blood system contribute to the development of acute GvHD and the role of abdominal lymph nodes in immune cell activation in the gut after transplantation (Shaikh et al., JCI Insight; Shaikh et al., Front. Immunol., Ataide et al., Immunity). For his research, he has been awarded prestigious prizes from the American Society of Hematology (ASH) and the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT).
Research Collaborators
At the Medical Clinic and Polyclinic II at UKW, Haroon Shaikh closely collaborates with Prof. Andreas Beilhack and Prof. Dr. Hermann Einsele, the clinic director, both of whom have extensive experience in stem cell transplantation and biomarker discovery (Bäuerlein et al., BMC Med.; Bäuerlein et al., Front. Immunol.; Tomuleasa et al., Ann Hematol.). He also works with Dr. Daniel Teschner and Dr. Jochen Frietsch, experts in the field of stem cell transplantation.
Additional expertise comes from Dr. Taufiq Ahmad from the Chair of Functional Materials in Medicine and Dentistry (FMZ) at UKW and Dr. Angela Riedel from the Mildred Scheel Junior Research Center (MSNZ). Shaikh also maintains close collaborations with Prof. Dr. Ernst Holler and Prof. Dr. Daniela Weber from the Clinic and Polyclinic for Internal Medicine III at the University Hospital Regensburg (UKR), as well as Prof. Naveed Akbar from the Radcliffe Department of Medicine at the University of Oxford (UK).
Dr. Haroon Shaikh
Junior Group leader
AG Beilhack - IZKF Research Group of Experimental Stem Cell Transplantation
Medical Department II, University Clinics Würzburg
Centre for Experimental Molecular Medicine (ZEMM)
Zinklesweg 10, D-97078 Würzburg
Phone: +49-931-201-27638
Email: Shaikh_H@ukw.de
Muhammad Haroon Shaikh aims to identify the role of extracellular vesicles from intestinal epithelia ...
Muhammad Haroon Shaikh
Activated donor T-cells migrate into intestinal tissue, triggering aGvHD. The 3D microscopy image sh ...
Michael Kern, Andreas Beilhack’s research group, UKW
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