Research projects: Cardiovascular Biomarker
Platelets and Protein Misfolding in Cardiac Amyloidosis
PIs: Stephan Dobner/Alice Assinger
Cardiac amyloidosis is a progressive heart disease caused by the buildup of misfolded proteins in the heart, leading to heart failure and an unusual combination of increased risk for both clotting and bleeding. Current tests cannot reliably link the extent of protein deposits to heart damage or guide treatment decisions.
This project investigates how platelets, the blood cells responsible for clotting, respond to misfolded proteins and whether they can serve as easily accessible biomarkers for disease diagnosis, staging, and monitoring therapy. Using patient samples and advanced laboratory experiments, the team will study how amyloid proteins affect platelet function and how treatments that stabilize these proteins may change these effects.
The goal is to identify platelet- and plasma-based biomarker signatures that reflect disease progression and treatment response, while also uncovering mechanisms that contribute to thrombotic and bleeding complications. Ultimately, this research aims to improve individualized care, guide safer therapies, and enhance outcomes for patients with cardiac amyloidosis.
Platelets as Biomarkers for Safer Blood-Contacting Medical Devices
PIs: Marcus Granegger/Alice Assinger
Blood-contacting medical devices, such as heart pumps, prosthetic valves, and extracorporeal systems, expose blood to unnatural forces that can trigger both clotting and bleeding, limiting patient safety. Our project aims to understand how platelets—small blood cells critical for clotting—respond to these mechanical stresses and to identify biomarkers that predict blood damage in individual patients. We combine laboratory experiments, patient studies, and computer simulations to map how platelets activate, form aggregates, release extracellular vesicles, and shed key receptors under different flow conditions. Using these data, we develop predictive models to guide personalized device settings and safer designs. Ultimately, this research will help reduce complications, improve outcomes for patients on mechanical circulatory support, and provide tools for personalized cardiovascular care.
Biographical Sketches
Stephan Dobner, MD, PhD, MSc, is a board-certified cardiologist and clinical researcher with expertise in heart failure, cardiac amyloidosis, and translational cardiovascular medicine. He trained at leading international institutions, including Harvard Medical School/Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the University of Cape Town (PhD), and the University of Oxford (MSc in Clinical Trials). He currently serves as Staff Cardiologist at Klinik Ottakring (Wilhelminenspital), leads the Clinical Research and Trials Unit in Cardiology, and is a Research Group Leader at the ICCI, Sigmund Freud Private University Vienna. Dr. Dobner has extensive experience as principal investigator and investigator in international phase II–III clinical trials and registries, with a strong focus on amyloidosis, heart failure, and cardio-oncology. He is a Fellow of the European Society of Cardiology and actively engaged in clinical teaching, mentorship, and interdisciplinary research.
Marcus Granegger, PhD, is an Associate Professor and Group Leader at the Department of Cardiac Surgery at the Medical University of Vienna. He leads the Christian Doppler Laboratory for Mechanical Circulatory Support, which he has headed since 2023. His work centers on the development of advanced mechanical circulatory support technologies, with a focus on cardiac biomechanics, hemocompatibility, and blood–device interaction. Using a combination of experimental platforms, computational modeling, and translational research, he develops physiology-based solutions for heart failure and congenital heart disease. He is internationally recognized for translating engineering innovation into clinically applicable cardiovascular therapies.
Alice Assinger, PhD, is director of the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Cardiovascular Research and Group Leader at the Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna. Her research focuses on platelet biology and extracellular vesicles, with a special emphasis on their interactions with immune cells in cardiovascular and liver inflammation, as well as the identification of circulating biomarkers including microRNAs, proteins, and lipids. She holds extensive experience in translational and interdisciplinary research, combining experimental and computational approaches. Prof. Assinger has published extensively in high-impact journals, holds patents, and actively mentors PhD students, postdocs, and clinicians while serving on editorial boards and as a reviewer for major scientific journals. She is recognized internationally for her contributions to platelet and immunology research.