SkinTERM ESR10: PhD candidate 'Role of macrophages on vascularisation and regeneration of human...

Updated: over 2 years ago
Job Type: Temporary
Deadline: 27 Sep 2021

Open PhD position at the Tissue Biology Research Unit of the University of Zurich on the role of macrophages on vascularization and regeneration of human skin. The position is part of the Innovative Training Network "SkinTERM ", Skin Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, an EU Horizon 2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions funded project. This network will train a new generation of entrepreneurial, multidisciplinary and intersectorially scientists able to drive this research area further towards clinical translation in Europe.

Project description
Macrophages play key roles in all phases of wound healing. Therefore, in this project, we want to investigate the role of distinct types of macrophages on the vascularisation and the healing response of bio-engineered human skin, in order to propagate a pro-healing macrophage response and scar-free skin tissue regeneration. Three main objectives for this project are:

  • Preparation of skin grafts and polarisation of macrophages. The ESR will generate human dermo-epidermal skin grafts. Human classically activated, inflammatory macrophages (M1) and alternatively activated, tissue repair macrophages (M2), where two types of M2 macrophages will be investigated.
  • Investigation of the influence of skin grafts with macrophages on their in vitro and in vivo behaviour. Keratinocytes, fibroblasts, endothelial cells and macrophages will be included in the dermal compartment of the human skin graft. Analyses will be undertaken on pre-vascularised grafts, both in vitro and in vivo after transplantation on immuno-deficient rats. For the in vitro analysis, focus will lie on the impact of differently polarised macrophage subsets on dermal capillary formation.
  • In vitroscreening for novel skin pro- and anti-fibrotic factors secreted by different macrophage subsets. From Objective 2, we will learn which macrophage subsets lead to an anti-fibrotic, non-scarring response. In this objective, we will identify anti-fibrotic factors secreted by those macrophages in vitro.


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