School of Medicine
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Wolfgang Loesche

Special Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences

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Expertise Summary

I am a physician with special training in biochemistry and cellular biology. Since 1988 I have held the position of Associate Professor in Molecular Pathobiochemistry, currently at the University Hospital Jena.

I am also a Special Associate Professor at the University of Nottingham. My focus is on blood platelets and their contribution to the inflammatory reactions in response to infection or severe trauma as well as their contribution to thrombotic events in the microcirculation. By elucidating the mechanisms of organ failure we hope to identify patients on high risk and to find novel therapeutic strategies to treat such patients.

Research Summary

I am involved in conducting quite different types of studies such as

  • Retrospective and prospective clinical studies
  • Models of sepsis (cecal ligation and puncture; peritoneal contamination and infection, endotoxin injection)
  • Cell culture models

The following methods are established:

  • Platelet aggregometry
  • Thrombelastometry (ROTEM) and other coagulation measurements
  • Flow cytometry
  • Light microscopy including laser scanning fluorescence and intra vital microscopy
  • ELISA
  • Gene expression analysis using real-time PCR and whole genome microarray technology

I am involved in the following projects:

  • Studies on the benefit of anti-platelet drugs in critically ill patients
  • Studies on the benefit of anti-platelet drugs in animal models of sepsis
  • Studies on the role of the von Willebrand factor cleaving protease (ADAMTS13) in the development of sepsis-associated thrombotic microangiopathy
  • Studies on platelet function in critical care (cooperation with Ravi Mahajan and Stan Heptinstall, University of Nottingham, UK)
  • Studies on microvesicles released from blood and endothelial cells: their role in haemostasis and inflammation
  • Studies on the effects of hydroxyethyl starch and other colloidal resuscitation fluids on haemostasis and inflammatory platelet functions
  • Studies of impaired haemostasis in septic patients using thrombelastography/metry
  • Studies on the inhibition of platelet function by anti-platelet drugs in patients with cardiac or peripheral vessel surgery (cooperation with the Clinic for Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery and Clinic for General, Visceral and Vessel Surgery, University Hospital Jena)

Current Teaching Along with a full teaching programme at the University of Jena I also teach regularly on a special course for BMedSci students at the University of Nottingham entitled: Platelets, Haemostasis and Thrombosis.

Recent Significant publications

Winning J, Neumann J, Kohl M, Claus RA, Reinhart K, Bauer M, Lösche W: Antiplatelet drugs and outcome in mixed admissions to an intensive care unit. Critical Care Medicine 2009, Sep 16 [Epub ahead print].

Seidel M, Winning J, Claus RA, Bauer M, Lösche W: Beneficial effect of clopidogrel in a mouse model of polymicrobial sepsis. J Thromb Haemost 2009, 7(6):1030-1032.

Claus RA, Bockmeyer CL, Budde U, Kentouche K, Sossdorf M, Hilberg T, Schneppenheim R, Reinhart K, Bauer M, Brunkhorst FM, Lösche W: Variations in the ratio between von Willebrand factor and its cleaving protease during systemic inflammation and association with severity and prognosis of organ failure. Thromb Haemost 2009, 101(2):239-247.

Winning J, Reichel J, Eisenhut Y, Hamacher J, Kohl M, Deigner HP, Claus RA, Bauer M, Lösche W: Anti-platelet drugs and outcome in severe infection: clinical impact and underlying mechanisms. Platelets 2009, 20(1):50-57.

LöSCHE, W. and AND HEPTINSTALL, S., 2007. Value of Platelet Activation Markers as throthrombotic Risk Indicators. Transfusion Medicine and Hemotherapy, 34(1), 34-42.

Recent Publications

School of Medicine

University of Nottingham
Medical School
Nottingham, NG7 2UH

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