During my career, I was always fascinated by the aggregation of protein and peptides and links to diverse physiological and pathological processes. My current research is focused on the aggregation as a novel host defense mechanism, of relevance for skin inflammation and wound healing. In particular, I study host defense roles of blood proteins belonging to the apolipoprotein group, such as apolipoprotein E (abbreviated ApoE). Our findings demonstrate a previously undisclosed role of ApoE, involving aggregation of endotoxins and bacteria, enabling clearance of bacterial toxins and microbial killing. The link between host defense and aggregation also suggests that persisting inflammation may lead to dysfunctional activation of such protein-based host defense pathways, and therefore, our research also raises interesting perspectives on the relationship between antimicrobial and amyloidogenic peptides. Taken together, the project supported by Hudfonden will disclose new physiologically relevant roles for apolipoproteins in skin inflammation. It will also increase our understanding of different amyloid diseases involving the skin, but also other organs such as the brain.

1) Thrombin-derived C-terminal fragments aggregate and scavenge bacteria and their proinflammatory products.

Author(s): Petrlova J, Petruk G, Huber RG, McBurnie EW, van der Plas MJA, Bond PJ, Puthia M, Schmidtchen A. Source: JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY. Published 2020

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32034093

2) Aggregation of thrombin-derived C-terminal fragments as a previously undisclosed host defense mechanism

Author(s): Petrlova J, Hansen FC, van der Plas MJA, Huberb RG , Mörgelin M, Malmsten M, Bond PJ, Schmidtchen A.  Source: PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. Published 2017

http://www.pnas.org/content/early/recent