Detail

Keywords

Colitis; Colorectal Neoplasms; Receptors, Calcium-Sensing; Vitamin D

Research group(s)

• AG Interdisziplinäre Pathophysiologie
  Head: Martin Schepelmann
  Research Area: At the interface between pathophysiology, physiology, molecular biology and pharmacology, the Interdisciplinary Pathophysiology Unit is involved in the following key areas of basic research: - Colon inflammation, colon cancer, ageing. - The role of vitamin D and nuclear receptors in cancer. - The role of the calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) in (patho)physiology.
  Members:
  Martin Schepelmann

Research interests

My main research interest are:

• Colorectal cancer, colitis, ageing: Identified the Calcium-Sensing Receptor (CaSR) as potential target for colitis and found that a healthy diet can mitigate colitis associated cancer risk. PI in an FWF standalone project on the role of ageing on colitis associated colorectal cancer.
• Cancer and vitamin D: Investigation of anti-cancer effects of non-calcaemic analogues of vitamin D on ovarian and colorectal cancer. Coordinator and PI of the EU-funded MSCA Doctoral Network “eRaDicate”.
• The role of Ca²⁺ and the CaSR in (patho-)physiology of inflammation: Identified the CaSR as target for airway inflammation, and the role of the CaSR in blood pressure regulation and mineral ion homeostasis via vascular smooth muscle.
• Building bridges between biology and medicinal chemistry: New drugs as a treatment against asthma (patent pending), “Highly commended” award of the Life Science Research Network Wales. Collaborations with leading medicinal chemists for drug discovery.

Techniques, methods & infrastructure

Molecular biology (RT-qPCR, RNA, ELISA, biochemistry, Ca²⁺-imaging) • Microscopy (brightfield, epifluorescence, confocal, immunohistochemistry and -fluorescence, sample preparation) • Quantitative microscopy analysis (TissueFAXS technology) • Primary cells and cell lines • Live cell imaging (Incucyte technology) • Animal models (e.g. DSS colitis model, AOM/DSS colorectal cancer model).

Selected publications

1. Schepelmann, M. et al. (2022) ‘Impaired Mineral Ion Metabolism in a Mouse Model of Targeted Calcium-Sensing Receptor (CaSR) Deletion from Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells’, Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, 33(7), pp. 1323–1340. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1681/asn.2021040585.
2. Schepelmann, M. et al. (2022) ‘AOM/DSS Induced Colitis-Associated Colorectal Cancer in 14-Month-Old Female Balb/C and C57/Bl6 Mice—A Pilot Study’, International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 23(9), p. 5278. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23095278.
3. Gushchina, V. et al. (2023) ‘The calcium-sensing receptor modulates the prostaglandin E2 pathway in intestinal inflammation’, Frontiers in Pharmacology, 14. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2023.1151144.
4. Schepelmann, M. et al. (2021) ‘Stereo-Specific Modulation of the Extracellular Calcium-Sensing Receptor in Colon Cancer Cells’, International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22(18), p. 10124. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms221810124.
5. Elajnaf, T. et al. (2019) ‘Nutritional and Pharmacological Targeting of the Calcium-Sensing Receptor Influences Chemically Induced Colitis in Mice’, Nutrients, 11(12), p. 3072. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11123072.