Research collaboration: a labour of love – heart research through teamwork

Anyone who thinks that too many cooks spoil the broth has not yet seen what is being concocted at BioTechMed-Graz. This research collaboration between the University of Graz, the Medical University of Graz and Graz University of Technology brings together the brightest minds from the three institutions for joint projects, thereby enabling cutting-edge research that has an impact far beyond the university campus. The latest example is the flagship project ‘ACE AGE’.

Behind the acronym lies an ambitious research project dedicated to heart health during aging. At the heart of the project is a protein whose concentration rises with aging and is linked to known risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as obesity, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

Inflammation in heart tissue

“We assume that this protein originates from adipose tissue, which increases with aging. From there, the protein enters the bloodstream and triggers inflammation in heart tissue,” says Mahmoud Abdellatif. The physician is leading the research project and works at the Division of Cardiology at the Medical University of Graz. There, he is supported by a team of PhD students who are putting the initial research findings to the test in experiments with laboratory mice.

A research group at the Institute of Organic Chemistry at Graz University of Technology is also involved in this project. “We will synthesise key molecules in the laboratory that could enable us to suppress this protein, which damages the heart as we age,” says TU Graz chemist Rolf Breinbauer. He compares the collaborative process in this interdisciplinary research project to the workings of a top-class kitchen: as sous-chef, Breinbauer sees himself as responsible for part of the overall menu, which he contributes alongside his team of PhD students. The efficacy of these novel molecular keys is being tested in various models at the Institute of Molecular Biosciences at the University of Graz. There, Renate Schreiber and Frank Madeo are investigating which cellular processes are pathologically altered by the body’s own protein as we age.

Three disciplines united

Coordination between the various disciplines – the project brings together medicine, chemistry, biochemistry and molecular biology – is one of the core tasks of the management team. “The first step was to gain an understanding of each other’s working methods and to find a common language. The different laboratories have varying approaches to testing a scientific hypothesis, and the challenge was to reconcile these,” says Renate Schreiber. For her, this is what makes working for BioTechMed-Graz such a special undertaking: being able to work under such a joint umbrella is unique in the Austrian research landscape – not least because of the substantial funding of one million euros, which is drawn from the resources of the three universities.

Should the research project bear fruit, this could also serve as a springboard for further funding from the EU or the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) on an even larger scale. A possible indicator of success lies in the development of a new blood test to identify people at increased risk of heart disease. On this basis, new therapies to protect the aging heart could be developed, provided it can be unequivocally established how the protein damages the heart and how it influences key cellular maintenance and repair mechanisms in the heart muscle cells.

“A major challenge”

“We live in an increasingly ageing society, where living as long and healthily as possible is a major challenge. We would like to play our part in supporting this goal by providing better treatment options for heart disease,” says Abdellatif confidently.

Source: Kleine Zeitung, 2 July 2026