MHH fills important gap in lung research

Dr Julia Schipke and Christian Mühlfeld in front of an electron microscope; Copyright: Karin Kaiser / MHH. For the first time, a team of scientists clearly demonstrates the existence of lipofibroblasts in human luectron microscope In medical research, animal models are used to clarify the development of diseases and to develop suitable therapies. In order to be able to transfer the results to humans, however, it must be ensured that the cell types and molecular signalling pathways studied in detail actually occur in our bodies. For research on lipofibroblasts, this has not been clearly clarified so far. This group of connective tissue cells was already described about 40 years ago as a cell type of its own in rat lungs. Whether such cells also exist in the human lung remained controversial in science. Now, a research team led by Christian Mühlfeld, acting head of the Institute of Functional and Applied Anatomy at the Hannover Medical School (MHH), has proven these cells beyond doubt for the first time using an electron microscope.