PI: Andreas Prokesch
Focus: Fasting regimens, like intermittent or periodic fasting, and caloric restriction have been shown to ameliorate a number of disease symptoms and to increase health span and even longevity in many model organisms from bacteria to non-human primates. While the first clinical trials are underway, the molecular mechanisms underlying these beneficial effects remain largely elusive. In our lab we investigate the impact of fasting on transcription factor networks in different cellular contexts. Our current projects focus on the transcription factor and tumour suppressor p53 as key player in the systemic fasting response using novel mouse models and genome-wide methods. In another project we scrutinize fasting in combination with molecular therapies in hepatocellular carcinoma.
Network: We cooperate on an ongoing basis with groups within the Research Centre (J. Feichtinger, D. Kratky, T. Madl, R. Malli), as well as within Med Uni (A. Deutsch, S. Frank, E. Heitzer, J. Kargl, I. Klymiuk, A. Reinisch, B. Rinner, S. Sedej) and the University of Graz (R. Schreiber). In the clinical field we collaborate with the working groups of M. Pichler (oncology), T. Pieber (endocrinology) and P. Schemmer (surgery). International cooperation partners are: Charité Berlin (M. Schupp), the German Institute of Human Nutrition (T. Schulz), Max Planck Institute Dresden (M. Huch), INSERM Nice (J. Jaeger), Helmholtz Zentrum München (S. Herzig), ETH Zurich (C. Wolfrum), University Utrecht (A. Heck) and the University of Pennsylvania (M. Lazar).
