FERROPath – Funding for Cell Death Research Extended

Research into ferroptosis, a novel iron-dependent form of cell death, is entering its next phase: the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) is funding the collaborative project FERROPath for another two years starting in October 2025. Experts from the Technical University of Dresden, the University of Duisburg-Essen, the Helmholtz Center Munich, the University of Regensburg and the Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University are involved in the consortium.

When tissue in the body is no longer adequately supplied with blood, this is referred to in medicine as ischemia. To prevent the affected cells from dying, blood flow must be restored as quickly as possible. However, restoring blood flow, or reperfusion, can cause further damage and cell death in the tissue. Such ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is a common complication after strokes, acute kidney injury, or organ transplants, which affects millions of people every year in Europe alone. Researchers have identified ferroptosis as a potential cross-disease pathomechanism of IRI. To date, there are no biomarkers that can clearly detect ferroptosis, and despite the identification and development of ferroptosis inhibitors, there is still no treatment for ischemia-reperfusion injury. The FERROPath team aims to change this and is searching for new therapeutic approaches.

During the first funding period, the research team discovered ferroptosis-specific lipid signatures that arise when blood flow returns after a period of reduced blood supply. In the second funding period, the stability and reproducibility of the lipid signatures will be tested to develop a standardized diagnostic tool. With this tool, the consortium aims to determine the optimal time window for ferroptosis inhibitors and to tailor treatment more individually – an important step to a more precise and personalized stroke therapy.

Prof. Maria Fedorova (Center for Membrane Biochemistry and Lipid Research at the TU Dresden) is the coordinator and head of the FERROPath consortium. She also leads the subproject “Analytical and preclinical validation of ferroptosis-specific biomarkers in organ-specific IRI,” which is funded with approximately 550,000 euros.

Project page

Background

Since 2022, the BMFTR has supported six networks through its funding scheme “Promotion of interdisciplinary networks for research into pathomechanisms”. These networks are investigating the causes and mechanisms of serious diseases that have been virtually untreatable to date, and developing innovative approaches for their prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. As part of the interim evaluation, all of the networks, including FERROPath, have received additional two-year funding.