Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Philipps-University Marburg and Max-Planck-Institute for Heart-Lung Research Bad Nauheim are the partner institutions forming the Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center (UGMLC), one of the five partner sites of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL – Deutsches Zentrum für Lungenforschung).
Situated in the geographic region of “Mittelhessen”, the three partners bring together profound expertise in lung basic as well as clinical research: https://dzl.de/en/sites/universities-of-giessen-and-marburg-lung-center-ugmlc/
UGMLC contributes to and is actively involved in all DZL Disease Areas.
Translational research at the Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center (UGMLC) focuses on lung diseases caused by inflammatory and hyperproliferative processes. This includes research on the antenatal and postnatal impact of environmental factors on the development of Asthma as well as on the development and therapy of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), with particular focus on the alterations of airways and blood vessels. In the Disease Area Pneumonia and Acute Lung Injury (ALI), UGMLC concentrates on the role of innate immunity and inflammatory mechanisms in the acute disease and during resolution and regeneration. Molecular and cellular mechanisms that may help to develop efficient regenerative therapies are studied in the Disease Areas Diffuse Parenchymal Lung Disease (DPLD, Pulmonary Hypertension (PH), and Lung Cancer (LC). UGMLC PIs are also actively involved in the research project of the areas Cystic Fibrosis (CF) and End-Stage Lung Disease (ELD).
The UGMLC partners complement one another through a close interplay of basic research and clinical research, based on the cooperation of the Max Planck Institute, the universities and the university hospital. Marburg focuses on the areas of Asthma and COPD, Giessen on ALI, DPLD and PH. In the area PH, Giessen is regarded as a center of national and international repute. The Max Planck Institute in Bad Nauheim focuses on the fields of stem cell research, developmental biology and cell signaling pathways. Further synergies result from cooperation with the other DZL sites as well as other networks (such as AsCoNet and COSYCONET) and local research consortia like the Excellence Cluster Cardio-Pulmonary Institute (CPI ). Within the DZL, UGMLC hosts the DZL Head Office as well as the DZL Biobank and Data Management Platform.
