About the Conrad Laboratory

The Conrad Laboratory is part of the Helmholtz Zentrum München. Recent efforts of the Conrad Laboratory aim at defining the molecular underpinnings of metabolic control of cell death with immediate relevance for a number of diseases, including neurodegeneration, tissue ischemia/reperfusion injury and cancer. In this respect, ferroptosis, a novel form of regulated necrotic cell death clearly distinct form other cell death paradigms including apoptosis and necroptosis, stands out as it is characterized by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation and metabolic constraints. Particular focus of the Conrad Laboratory is geared towards the discovery of small molecule compounds to specifically halt or induce ferroptosis in the context of degenerative disease or cancer, respectively. In addition, gain and loss of function studies shall aid in the identification of the underlying mechanisms that predict sensitivity versus resistance to ferroptosis. The recent recognition that a distinctive non-apoptotic cell death routine is at the root of various disease scenarios and the growing opportunities in modulating this form of cell death thus have sparked a keen interest among researchers in this rapidly emerging and intriguing field.

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