Herzfelder Family Foundation / FWF grant for Dr. Martin Schepelmann

Dr. Martin Schepelmann (research group of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Enikö Kallay) received a grant of € 418,000, co-funded from the Herzfelder Family Foundation and the FWF (Austrian Science Fund), for his project “Effect of ageing on a chemically induced colon cancer model”.

In this 3-year project, Dr. Schepelmann will investigate the influence of ageing on treatment and preventive measures against colorectal cancer. This is the first grant that Dr. Schepelmann will manage independently as project leader.

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world and in Austria, and still one of the most lethal. Colitis is one of the main risk factors for the development of colorectal cancer. Numerous preclinical studies are performed to study how to combat or prevent this disease, but very little is known about the influence of ageing on treatment or preventative measures against this disease. Indeed, almost all animal studies, which focus on developing treatments against this cancer, are performed exclusively on young animals, even though they are supposed to model a disease that predominately affects elderly patients. Therefore, in this study, we will investigate how ageing influences both pharmacological and nutritional treatment and prevention against inflammation and inflammation-associated cancer development.

Congratulations!