LVR-Klinikum Düsseldorf Hospital of the Heinrich-Heine University ...

LVR-KLINIKUM DÜsseLDORF – hOsPITaL OF The heINRIch-heINe UNIVeRsITY DÜsseLDORF
3.1.2 Research Laboratories
Neurobiochemical Research Laboratory: evaluation of a western blot
3.1.2.1 Neurobiochemical Research Laboratory
Scientific Directors: C. Luckhaus (from 2005),
A. Klimke (until December 2004)
Deputy and Technical Director: U. Henning
Scientific Assistants: K. Fehsel, U. Henning,
K. Krieger (until 2006)
Other assistants: M. Geisler (MTA), I. Wijaya (until 2005)
Cooperation partner from the Department of Psychiatry and
Psychotherapy: S. Ferrea, C. Lange Asschenfeldt, P. Goertz,
S. Löffler (until 2005)
Doctoral candidates: A. Boers, B. Mahabadi, W. Perl,
C. Werner
The basic science-oriented investigation topics of the
last reporting period continued to be addressed in the
Neurobiochemistry Research Laboratory, where the
investigations were closely meshed with departmentally
oriented questions, in order to contribute to the
explanation of the pathogenesis of mental disorders and
the therapeutic effect mechanisms of drug components.
In addition to running its own research projects, the
research laboratory, because of its number of staff and
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good technical ability, is linked to the German Competence
Network on Schizophrenia, the German Competence
Network on Dementia, and – via the local research group
on dependence disorders – to the Dependence Research
Network of North Rhine-Westphalia. Since the change
of leadership on 1 January 2005, the research laboratory
has been led by Consultant Psychiatrist C. Luckhaus.
This change in leadership has gone hand in hand with
a constant reorientation in setting research targets. In
addition to a further characterisation of biochemical and
cellular parameters as disorder-specific state or trait
characteristics of mental disorders, the early identification
and diagnosis of which will contribute to an improvement
in patient care, mechanisms were sought which lead to
the dysregulation and, therefore, the dysfunction of the
body´s biochemical circuits. In particular, these included
investigations of the effect of psychotropic drugs on RNA
and protein expression. The basic laboratory equipment was
significantly improved by the procurement of a thermocycler
to carry out polymerase chain reactions (PCR), a 2D
electrophoresis unit to assess protein expression and a
documentation device. By using well-characterised tumour