Zischka Group
Research Group Mitochondrial Toxicology
We focus on Mitochondrial Damage upon diverse aspects of cell-toxic conditions in human disease, e.g. metabolic diseases, neurodegeneration, cancer, organ failure.
About our Research
More than one hundred publications document the research of the AG Zischka about mechanisms, molecular targets, pathognomonic consequences and potential therapies of mitochondrial impairments. Their research focus may thus be best termed as “Mitochondrial Toxicology”. Regarded over decades as simple power plants of the cell, the current apprehension of mitochondria is to be the key player of cell homeostasis and cell death. In their work, the AG Zischka has achieved major methodological breakthroughs in mitochondrial analyses, such as the separation of damaged from intact organelles – a USP of this group, or the unprecedented isolation of intact mitochondria from tumor cells or minute sample amounts such as liver biopsies.
Using a unique platform with a plethora of analytical methods and assays, the AG Zischka studies mitochondrial impairments, signaling alterations, dysregulation and damage in human disease. Foremost this implies work on metabolic diseases such as NASH or obesity, liver failure, neurodegeneration, cardiac issues and cancer. A major aim thereto is the development of strategies to either rescue/amend mitochondrial function or to cause their targeted destruction in the case of cancer.
The impact of the AG Zischka work may be best exemplified by their results concerning the rare but severe Wilson disease. They have unraveled the decisive role of mitochondrial impairment at major crossroads in this devastating disease (JCI 2011, NYAS 2014, Tox in vitro 2018, Gastroenterology 2018, IJBCB 2018, Gastroenterology 2019, Cell Stress 2020, J Hep 2020, Metallomics 2020, Life Sci Alliance. 2021), a still ongoing work. Based on their findings, they could come up with innovative therapeutic compounds that resulted in unprecedented therapeutic efficacy, thus allowing for a new treatment strategy that is currently in the development towards the clinics (JCI 2016, JTEMB 2018, CMGH 2019, ISMEJ 2021, Appl Environ Microbiol. 2021).
Group Leader Oxidative Cell Death
Technical Assistant Zischka Lab
Doctoral Researcher Zischka Lab
Technical Assistant Zischka Lab
Postdoc Zischka Lab
Doctoral Researcher Zischka Lab
Doctoral Researcher Zischka Lab
Technical Assistant Zischka Lab
Doctoral Researcher Zischka Lab
Our Publications
Kolak, A. ; Tschuck, J. ; Weiss, S.A. ; Kaemena, D.F. ; Klimm, K. ; Galhoz, A. ; Ringelstetter, L. ; Fennell, M. ; Merl-Pham, J. ; Artati, A. ; Strasser, S. ; Garippa, R. ; Witting, M. ; Zischka, H. ; Schick, J. ; Hauck, S.M. ; Menden, M.P. ; Vincendeau, M. ; Stockwell, B.R. ; Hadian, K.
miR-940 suppresses ferroptosis by controlling expression of key regulatory genes.Schmitt, S. ; Komlódi, T. ; Rychtárová, L. ; Donnelly, C. ; Zischka, H. ; Gnaiger, E.
Oxygen dependence of hydrogen peroxide production in isolated mitochondria and permeabilized cells.Rechtsteiner, M. ; Kröber, S. ; Al-Robaiy, S. ; Zischka, H. ; Simm, A. ; Oliveira, P.J. ; Carvalho, E. ; Weihrauch-Blüher, S.
Stage dependent alterations in PBMC mitochondrial bioenergetics in pediatric obesity: From insulin resistance to type 2 diabetes.Ramasubramanian, S. ; Öllinger, R. ; Eberhagen, C. ; Zischka, H. ; Schmid, R.M. ; Einwächter, H.
Correction: Mitochondrial superoxide dismutase controls metabolic plasticity in pancreatic cancer.Gu, W. ; Wilkinson, N. ; Fillebeen, C. ; Blackburn, D. ; Sahinyan, K. ; Bonneil, E. ; Zhao, T. ; Luo, Z. ; Soleimani, V. ; Richard, V. ; Borchers, C.H. ; Koulman, A. ; Jenkins, B. ; Michalke, B. ; Zischka, H. ; Sailer, J. ; Venkataramani, V. ; Iliopoulos, O. ; Sweeney, G. ; Pantopoulos, K.
IRP1 deficiency alters mitochondrial metabolism and protects against metabolic syndrome pathologies.Borkowska, A. ; Juhas, U. ; Olszewski, S. ; Reczkowicz, J. ; Wityk, P. ; Akdogan, B. ; Zischka, H. ; Antosiewicz, J.
N-homocysteinylation of ferritin and associated changes in iron metabolism as potential drivers of vascular endothelial dysfunction in hyperhomocysteinemia.Lorenz, S. ; Wahida, A. ; Bostock, M.J. ; Seibt, T. ; Santos Dias Mourão, A. ; Levkina, A. ; Trümbach, D. ; Soudy, M. ; Emler, D. ; Rothammer, N. ; Woo, M.S. ; Sonner, J.K. ; Novikova, M. ; Henkelmann, B. ; Aldrovandi, M. ; Kaemena, D.F. ; Mishima, E. ; Vermonden, P. ; Zong, Z. ; Cheng, D. ; Nakamura, T. ; Ito, J. ; Doll, S. ; Proneth, B. ; Bürkle, E. ; Rizzollo, F. ; Escamilla Ayala, A. ; Napolitano, V. ; Kolonko, M. ; Gaussmann, S. ; Merl-Pham, J. ; Hauck, S.M. ; Pertek, A. ; Orschmann, T. ; Van San, E. ; Vanden Berghe, T. ; Hass, D, ; Maida, A. ; Frenz, J.M. ; Pedrera, L. ; Dolga, A.M. ; Kraiger, M. ; Hrabě de Angelis, M. ; Fuchs, H. ; Ebert, G. ; Lenberg, J. ; Friedman, J. ; Scale, C. ; Agostinis, P. ; Zimprich, A. ; Vogt Weisenhorn, D.M. ; Garrett, L. ; Hölter, S.M. ; Wurst, W. ; Glaab, E. ; Lewerenz, J. ; Popper, B. ; Sieben, C. ; Steinacker, P. ; Zischka, H. ; García-Sáez, A.J. ; Tietze, A. ; Ramesh, S.K. ; Ayton, S. ; Vincendeau, M. ; Friese, M.A. ; Wigby, K. ; Sattler, M. ; Mann, M. ; Ingold, I. ; Jayavelu, A.K. ; Popowicz, G.M. ; Conrad, M.
A fin-loop-like structure in GPX4 underlies neuroprotection from ferroptosis.Engler, J. ; Kim, E.J. ; Kim, D. ; Shibata, N.M. ; Lynderup, E.M. ; Vendelbo, M.H. ; Akdogan, B. ; Sailer, J. ; Fontes, A. ; Eberhagen, C. ; Rieder, T. ; Reinold, Q. ; Lee, H. ; Park, D. ; Jung, C. ; Im, W. ; Wudy, S.I. ; Kleigrewe, K. ; Engelhardt, S. ; DiSpirito, A.A. ; Sandahl, T.D. ; Medici, V. ; Eun, S.Y. ; Zischka, H.
Rapid transcellular hepatic copper depletion by ARBM-101 rescues severe liver damage in Wilson disease rodents.Ramasubramanian, S. ; Öllinger, R. ; Eberhagen, C. ; Zischka, H. ; Schmid, R.M. ; Einwächter, H.
Mitochondrial superoxide dismutase controls metabolic plasticity in pancreatic cancer.Lynderup, E.M. ; Vendelbo, M.H. ; Kirk, F.T. ; Vase, K.H. ; Alstrup, A.K.O. ; Rieder, T. ; DiSpirito, A.A. ; Semrau, J.D. ; Laursen, T.L. ; Ott, P. ; Zischka, H. ; Sandahl, T.D.
Methanobactin rapidly facilitates biliary copper excretion in a Wilson disease rat model visualised by 64Cu PET/MRI.Cáceres, A. ; Shibata, N.M. ; Davalos-Gutierrez, C.D. ; Sarode, G.V. ; Hussan, H. ; Bettencourt, M. ; Fontes, A. ; Zischka, H. ; Lutsenko, S. ; Heffern, M.C. ; Medici, V.
Inactivation of Atp7b copper transporter in intestinal epithelial cells is associated with altered lipid processing and cell growth machinery independent from hepatic copper accumulation and severity of liver histology.Bremer, J. ; Nagel, J. ; Zschüntzsch, J. ; Zajt, K.K. ; Palaz, T. ; Blank, T. ; Ikis, A. ; Fischer, L.A. ; Sensmeyer, A.S.M. ; Wiechers, L. ; Reichelt, J.J. ; Hofmann, K.P. ; Wolf, M.J. ; Leuchtenberger, C. ; Tripathi, P. ; Einer, C. ; Zischka, H. ; Rothermel, U. ; Eck, A.L. ; Reimann, R. ; Kana, V. ; Rushing, E. ; Aguzzi, A. ; Prinz, M. ; Liebetanz, D. ; Odoardi, F. ; Kuo, C.C. ; Weis, J. ; Kraft, F. ; Schmidt, J. ; Heikenwälder, M.
Mutual reinforcement of lymphotoxin-driven myositis and impaired autophagy in murine muscle.Jauch, A.T. ; Sailer, J. ; Braun, J. ; Czeslik, E. ; Geyer, J. ; Eberhagen, C. ; Vollmar, A.M. ; Zischka, H. ; Sieber, S.A. ; Zahler, S.
Neocarzilin A induces apoptosis and mitochondrial disturbance by targeting reticulon 4-mediated endoplasmic reticulum stress.Deschler, S. ; Pohl-Topcu, J. ; Ramsauer, L. ; Meiser, P. ; Erlacher, S. ; Schenk, R.P. ; Maurer, H.C. ; Shen, P. ; Kager, J. ; Zink, J.I. ; Pistrenko, K. ; Monte, E.R. ; Weber, J. ; Wasmaier, L. ; Laschinger, M. ; Hüser, N. ; Geisler, F. ; Thorburn, D. ; Nieß, H. ; Wiedemann, G.M. ; Zischka, H. ; Heikenwälder, M. ; Kleigrewe, K. ; Mogler, C. ; Böttcher, J.P. ; Knolle, P.A. ; Schmid, R.M. ; Böttcher, K.
Polyunsaturated fatty acid-induced metabolic exhaustion and ferroptosis impair the anti-tumour function of MAIT cells in MASLD.Sailer, J. ; Schmitt, S. ; Zischka, H. ; Gnaiger, E.
Direct effects of clinically relevant antibiotics on mitochondrial respiration.Contact
