University of Greifswald View Institution's Website 4 articles published in JoVE Medicine Preparation and In Vitro Characterization of Magnetized miR-modified Endothelial Cells Natalia Voronina1, Heiko Lemcke1, Frank Wiekhorst2, Jens-Peter Kühn3, Markus Frank4, Gustav Steinhoff1, Robert David1 1Reference and Translation Center for Cardiac Stem Cell Therapy (RTC), Department of Cardiac Surgery, University of Rostock, 2Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, 3Department of Radiology and Neuroradiology, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University Greifswald, 4Electron Microscopy Center, University of Rostock This manuscript describes the efficient, non-viral delivery of miR to endothelial cells by a PEI/MNP vector and their magnetization. Thus, in addition to genetic modification, this approach allows for magnetic cell guidance and MRI detectability. The technique can be used to improve the characteristics of therapeutic cell products. Immunology and Infection Following in Real Time the Impact of Pneumococcal Virulence Factors in an Acute Mouse Pneumonia Model Using Bioluminescent Bacteria Malek Saleh1, Mohammed R. Abdullah1, Christian Schulz1, Thomas Kohler1, Thomas Pribyl1, Inga Jensch1, Sven Hammerschmidt1 1Department Genetics of Microorganisms, Interfaculty Institute for Genetics and Functional Genomics, University of Greifswald Streptococcus pneumoniae is the leading pathogen causing severe community-acquired pneumonia and responsible for over 2 million deaths worldwide. The impact of bacterial factors implicated in fitness or virulence can be monitored in real-time in an acute mouse pneumonia or bacteremia model using bioluminescent bacteria. Immunology and Infection Measurement of Antibody Effects on Cellular Function of Isolated Cardiomyocytes Lars G. Eckerle1, Stephan B. Felix1, Lars R. Herda1 1Department of Internal Medicine B, University Medicine Greifswald The presented method offers a way to detect functional effective cardiotropic autoantibodies in the plasma of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy, irrespective of the specific antigen, by analysing the impact of isolated patient immunoglobulin on cellular shortening and intracellular calcium transients in isolated rat cardiomyocytes. Immunology and Infection Colon Ascendens Stent Peritonitis (CASP) - a Standardized Model for Polymicrobial Abdominal Sepsis Tobias Traeger*1, Pia Koerner*1, Wolfram Kessler1, Katharina Cziupka1, Stephan Diedrich1, Alexandra Busemann1, Claus-Dieter Heidecke1, Stefan Maier1 1Department of Surgery, University of Greifswald The Colon Ascendens Stent Peritonitis (CASP) is a highly standardized model for polymicrobial abdominal sepsis in rodents. This article describes the surgical procedure of CASP. The CASP model and its variants allow the systematic investigation of various problems concerning the subject of sepsis.