en
Wilhelm Röll
© Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Röll
Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Röll

Website

Affiliations
  • Herzzentrum, Universitätklinikum Bonn
Research topics
  • cardiology
  • cardiac cell-therapy
  • ventricular arrythmics
Beside my clinical function as a consultant in cardiac surgery, scientifically I am interested in new biological approaches to improve the pump function of the infarcted heart and to prevent ventricular arrhythmias. To elucidate the therapeutic potential of cardiac cell therapy, (cardio-)myocytes and non-myocytes were transplanted in different murine infarction models. At the moment we are working on strategies to improve short- and long term engraftment of transplanted cells. Furthermore we aim to improve the electrophysiological properties of the myocardial scar by cell- or gene-therapeutic based (over-)expression of the gap junction protein Connexin43 within the lesion area in order to reduce post-infarct ventricular arrhythmias. Studies are performed in closed collaboration with the Institute of Physiology I, University of Bonn.
Selected publications

Roell,W., Klein,A.M., Breitbach,M., Becker,T., Parikh, Lee,J., Zimmermann,K., Reining,S., Gabris,B., Ottersbach,A., Doran,R., Engelbrecht,B., Schiffer,M., Kimura,K., Freitag,P., Carls,E., Geisen,C., Duer,G.D., Sasse,P., Welz,A., Pfeifer,A., Salama,G., Kotlikoff,M., Fleischmann,B.K. (2018). Overexpression of Cx43 in cells of the myocardial scar: Correction of post-infarct arrhythmias through heterotypic cell-cell coupling. Scientific Reports. 8: 7145.

Ottersbach A, Mykhaylyk O, Heidsieck A, Eberbeck D, Rieck S, Zimmermann K, Breitbach M, Engelbrecht B, Brügmann T, Hesse M, Welz A, Sasse P, Wenzel D, Plank C, Gleich B, Hölzel M, Bloch W, Pfeifer A, Fleischmann BK, Roell W. (2018) Improved heart repair upon myocardial infarction: Combination of magnetic nanoparticles and tailored magnets strongly increases engraftment of myocytes. Biomaterials. 155: 176-190.

Roell,W.*, Lewalter,T.*, Sasse,P.*, Tallini,Y.N., Choi,B.R., Breitbach,M., Doran,R., Becher,U.M., Hwang,S.M., Bostani,T., von,M.J., Hofmann,A., Reining,S., Eiberger,B., Gabris,B., Pfeifer,A., Welz,A., Willecke,K., Salama,G., Schrickel,J.W., Kotlikoff,M.I., Fleischmann,B.K. (2007). Engraftment of connexin 43-expressing cells prevents post-infarct arrhythmia. Nature 450: 819-824.

Roell,W., Lu,Z.J., Bloch,W., Siedner,S., Tiemann,K., Xia,Y., Stoecker,E., Fleischmann,M., Bohlen,H., Stehle,R., Kolossov,E., Brem,G., Addicks,K., Pfitzer,G., Welz,A., Hescheler,J., and Fleischmann,B.K. (2002). Cellular cardiomyoplasty improves survival after myocardial injury. Circulation 105: 2435-2441.

Wilhelm Röll
© Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Röll
Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Röll

Website

-