The Centre for Cellular Signal Patterns (CellPAT), headed by Professor Jørgen Kjems, addresses fundamental biological questions to identify how cells ‘talk’ to each other and their surroundings. The center is funded by the Danish National Research Foundation for six years on a grant of DKK 61 million.

The other partners in the center are:

Professor Duncan Sutherland, iNANO, Aarhus University

Professor Steffen Thiel, Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University

Assistant Professor Søren E Degn, Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University

Professor Fiona Watt, King’s College London, UK

Group Leader Dr Ralf Jungmann, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich (LMU) and Max Plank Institute of Biochemistry (MPIB) Munich, Germany

The centre has a particular focus on how our immune cells recognise the difference between external dangers and ourselves, and why this mechanism sometimes goes wrong and gives rise to autoimmune diseases such as arthritis, sclerosis and diabetes. The centre also studies the way macromolecules are transported through biological barriers in the body, such as the blood-brain barrier and cell membranes. This knowledge will form the basis for developing more targeted and effective drugs with fewer side effects. In addition, the centre addresses which signals a stem cell needs to receive in order to develop into specific types of tissue in the body. This knowledge will create an opportunity to use stem cells to re-establish tissue in the body when the old cells are destroyed by a poor lifestyle, disease or injury. It is thought that such methods will eventually be used to regenerate human organs. 

You can find more information about CellPAT and it's partner labs and activities here: www.cellpat.au.dk