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Areas of interest: The dynamics of cell-extracellular matrix interactions in normal and pathological situations. Identification of disease mechanisms in heritable diseases originating in the extracellular matrix.

The Reinhardt laboratory is interested in components and mechanisms involved in the biogenesis, function and pathological aspects of the extracellular matrix and its interactions with cells. The research themes rank around molecular mechanisms matrix proteins and fibers exert in disorders affecting blood vessels, bone, skin and eyes. We are interested how extracellular matrix proteins instruct cells to differentiate, migrate, and proliferate, and how cells sense normal and pathologically altered extracellular matrix. The lab also focuses on how the extracellular matrix regulates key growth factors of the TGF-beta superfamily, and on deciphering regulatory mechanisms mediated by microRNAs. Methodologically, the lab employs a wide spectrum of techniques ranging from in vitro biochemical and biophysical assays, to cell biology methods with primary cells and transformed cell lines, to light and electron microscopic techniques, to in vivo studies with genetically modified mouse models. The Reinhardt laboratory has published over 100 research articles that are cited more than 5,000 times ().