Research group 'Platelet Physiology and Dysfunction'

Prof. Dr. Kerstin Jurk

Group Leader

Research topics

• Regulatory mechanisms of platelet function
• Platelet signaling
• Crosstalk between platelets, leukocytes and the vascular compartment in inflammation-driven thrombotic diseases
• Inherited and acquired platelet function disorders

Partners of Collaboration

Partners at the University Medical Center Mainz

• Prof. Dr. Wolfram Ruf (CTH)
• Dr. Charis von Auer (III. Medizinische Klinik, CTH Gerinnungsambulanz II)
• Prof. Dr. Jörg Faber, Dr. Alexandra Russo (Center for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine)
• Prof. Dr. Christine Espinola-Klein (Center for Cardiology, Cardiology III - Angiology)
• Prof. Dr. Markus Radsak ( III. Department of Medicine Hematology, Oncology, Pneumology)
• Prof. Dr. Krishan Rajalingam (Cell Biology Unit)
• Prof. Dr. Julia Weinmann-Menke (Department of Nephrology)
• Prof. Dr. Stefan Tenzer (Institute for Immunology, Core Facility Mass Spectrometry)

National Partners

• Prof. Dr. Albert Sickmann, Dr. René Zahedi (Leibniz–Institut für Analytische Wissenschaften – ISAS, Dortmund)
• Prof. Dr. Beate Kehrel (Department of Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, Experimental and Clinical Haemostasis Research, University Hospital Münster)
• Prof. Dr. Barbara Zieger (Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical Center - University of Freiburg)
• Dr. Manuela Krause (DKD Helios Klinik Wiesbaden)

International Partners

• Prof. Dr. Johann Heemskerk (CARIM, Maastricht)
• Prof. Dr. Tilman Hackeng (CARIM, Maastricht)
• Dr. Stepan Gambaryan (Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology, St. Petersburg, Russia)
• Dr. Albert Smolenski (Conway Institute of Biomolecular & Biomedical Research, University College Dublin, Ireland)
• Prof. Dr. Stefan Chlopicki (Jagiellonian Centre for Experimental Therapeutics (JCET), Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Polen)

Research Funding

• CTH TRP X28, X43, X44

We are part of the TICARDIO Research Consortium (Project 8 + Project 9) funded through the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network, Horizon 2020.

Biography - Kerstin Jurk

Positions:
Since 2022 – Extraordinary Professorship, University of Münster
Since 2020 – Group Leader 'Clinical Platelet Research', CTH, Center of Cardiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz
Since 2015 – Group Leader 'Platelet Physiology and Dysfunction', CTH, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz
Since 2012 – Head of the CTH Platform 'Platelet Function'
Since 2012 – Coordinator of the Experimental CTH Platforms

Research Career:
2006 - 2011 – Research Associate, Dept. of  Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Exp. and Clin. Haemostasis, University-Hospital, Münster
2004 - 2006 – Lise-Meitner Habilitation Fellow of North Rhine-Westphalia
1999 - 2004 – Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Dept. of  Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Exp. and Clin. Haemostasis, University-Hospital, Münster

Professional Education:
1999 – Dr. rer. nat. (PhD), Westfälische Wilhelms University, Münster
1994 – Diploma in Biology, Westfälische Wilhelms University, Münster

ORCID Researcher ID:
0000-0001-5313-4035

Team RG Jurk

Former team members

• Dr. rer. nat. Mareike Döhrmann
• Dr. med. Melissa Gutekunst
• Dr. med. Johannes Irle
• Dr. rer. nat. Elena Kumm
• Dr. rer. nat. Stephanie Makhoul
• Dr. med. Karoline Rosenplänter 
• Dr. med. vet. Katharina Trabold
• Dr. med. Alice Huang
• Dr. med. Charlotte Hutchinson
• Dr. med. phil. nat. Daniele Pillitteri
• Kehel Wohra
• Dr. med. Alexandra Walter
• Pengyu Zhang

Miscellaneous

We are looking forward to applications from highly motivated students for Master-Thesis Projects.   Email.

Original articles

• Zhang P, von Ungern-Sternberg S, Hastenplug L, Solari FA, Sickmann A, Kuijpers MJE, Heemskerk JWM, Walter U, Jurk K. Multi-phased Kinetics and Interaction of Protein Kinase Signaling in Glycoprotein VI-Induced Platelet αIIbβ3 Integrin Activation and Degranulation. Thromb Haemost. 2024 May 15.
• Falter T, Rossmann H, de Waele L, Dekimpe C, von Auer C, Müller-Calleja N, Häuser F, Degreif A, Marandiuc D, Messmer X, Sprinzl M, Lackner KJ, Jurk K, Vanhoorelbeke K, Lämmle B. A novel von Willebrand factor multimer ratio as marker of disease activity in thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. Blood Adv. 2023 Sep 12;7(17):5091-5102.
• Jurk K, Adenaeuer A, Sollfrank S, Groß K, Häuser F, Czwalinna A, Erkel J, Fritsch N, Marandiuc D, Schaller M, Lackner KJ, Rossmann H, Bergmann F. Novel GATA1 Variant Causing a Bleeding Phenotype Associated with Combined Platelet α-/δ-Storage Pool Deficiency and Mild Dyserythropoiesis Modified by a SLC4A1 Variant. Cells. 2022 Sep 29;11(19):3071.
• Jurk K, Rothenaicher KF, Groß K, Rossmann H, Weißer G, Schmidtmann I, Münzel T, Espinola-Klein C. Differential Inhibition of Platelet Reactivity by Dual Therapy With Aspirin and Low-Dose Rivaroxaban in Peripheral Arterial Disease: A Pilot Study. Front Cardiovasc Med. 2022 May 6;9:865166.
• Leberzammer J, Agten SM, Blanchet X, Duan R, Ippel H, Megens RTA, Schulz C, Aslani M, Duchene J, Döring Y, Jooss NJ, Zhang P, Brandl R, Stark K, Siess W, Jurk K, Heemskerk JWM, Hackeng TM, Mayo KH, Weber C, von Hundelshausen P. Targeting platelet-derived CXCL12 impedes arterial thrombosis. Blood. 2022 Apr 28;139(17):2691-2705.
• Herken K, Glauner M, Robert SC, Maas M, Zippel S, Nowak-Göttl U, Zieger B, Lahav J, Fender AC, Jurk K, Kehrel BE. Age-Dependent Control of Collagen-Dependent Platelet Responses by Thrombospondin-1-Comparative Analysis of Platelets from Neonates, Children, Adolescents, and Adults. Int J Mol Sci. 2021 May 5;22(9):4883.
• Gresele P, Falcinelli E, Bury L, Pecci A, Alessi MC, Borhany M, Heller PG, Santoro C, Cid AR, Orsini S, Fontana P, De Candia E, Podda G, Kannan M, Jurk K, Castaman G, Falaise C, Guglielmini G, Noris P; BAT-VAL Study Investigators. The ISTH bleeding assessment tool as predictor of bleeding events in inherited platelet disorders: Communication from the ISTH SSC Subcommittee on Platelet Physiology. J Thromb Haemost. 2021 May;19(5):1364-1371.
• Schnorbus B, Daiber A, Jurk K, Warnke S, Koenig J, Lackner KJ, Munzel T and Gori T. Effects of clopidogrel vs. prasugrel vs. ticagrelor on endothelial function, inflammatory parameters, and platelet function in patients with acute coronary syndrome undergoing coronary artery stenting: a randomized, blinded, parallel study. Eur Heart J. 2020;41:3144-3152.
• Döhrmann M, Makhoul S, Gross K, Krause M, Pillitteri D, von Auer C, Walter U, Lutz J, Volf I, Kehrel BE and Jurk K. CD36-fibrin interaction propagates FXI-dependent thrombin generation of human platelets. FASEB J. 2020;34:9337-9357.
• Ascher S, Wilms E, Pontarollo G, Formes H, Bayer F, Muller M, Malinarich F, Grill A, Bosmann M, Saffarzadeh M, Brandao I, Gross K, Kiouptsi K, Kittner JM, Lackner KJ, Jurk K and Reinhardt C. Gut Microbiota Restricts NETosis in Acute Mesenteric Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2020;40:2279-2292.
• Makhoul S, Dorschel S, Gambaryan S, Walter U and Jurk K. Feedback Regulation of Syk by Protein Kinase C in Human Platelets. Int J Mol Sci. 2020;21.
• van Geffen JP, Brouns SLN, Batista J, McKinney H, Kempster C, Nagy M, Sivapalaratnam S, Baaten C, Bourry N, Frontini M, Jurk K, Krause M, Pillitteri D, Swieringa F, Verdoold R, Cavill R, Kuijpers MJE, Ouwehand WH, Downes K and Heemskerk JWM. High-throughput elucidation of thrombus formation reveals sources of platelet function variability. Haematologica. 2019;104:1256-1267.
• Makhoul S, Trabold K, Gambaryan S, Tenzer S, Pillitteri D, Walter U and Jurk K. cAMP- and cGMP-elevating agents inhibit GPIbalpha-mediated aggregation but not GPIbalpha-stimulated Syk activation in human platelets. Cell Commun Signal. 2019;17:122. 
• Althaus K, Zieger B, Bakchoul T, Jurk K; THROMKID-Plus Studiengruppe der Gesellschaft für Thrombose- und Hämostaseforschung (GTH) und der Gesellschaft für Pädiatrische Onkologie und Hämatologie (GPOH). Standardization of Light Transmission Aggregometry for Diagnosis of Platelet Disorders: An Inter-Laboratory External Quality Assessment. Thromb Haemost. 2019;119:1154-1161.
• Klatt C, Kruger I, Zey S, Krott KJ, Spelleken M, Gowert NS, Oberhuber A, Pfaff L, Luckstadt W, Jurk K, Schaller M, Al-Hasani H, Schrader J, Massberg S, Stark K, Schelzig H, Kelm M and Elvers M. Platelet-RBC interaction mediated by FasL/FasR induces procoagulant activity important for thrombosis. J Clin Invest. 2018;128:3906-3925.
• Subramaniam S, Jurk K, Hobohm L, Jackel S, Saffarzadeh M, Schwierczek K, Wenzel P, Langer F, Reinhardt C and Ruf W. Distinct contributions of complement factors to platelet activation and fibrin formation in venous thrombus development. Blood. 2017;129:2291-2302.
• Loroch S, Trabold K, Gambaryan S, Reiss C, Schwierczek K, Fleming I, Sickmann A, Behnisch W, Zieger B, Zahedi RP, Walter U and Jurk K. Alterations of the platelet proteome in type I Glanzmann thrombasthenia caused by different homozygous delG frameshift mutations in ITGA2B. Thromb Haemost. 2017;117:556-569.
• Kossmann S, Lagrange J, Jackel S, Jurk K, Ehlken M, Schonfelder T, Weihert Y, Knorr M, Brandt M, Xia N, Li H, Daiber A, Oelze M, Reinhardt C, Lackner K, Gruber A, Monia B, Karbach SH, Walter U, Ruggeri ZM, Renne T, Ruf W, Munzel T and Wenzel P. Platelet-localized FXI promotes a vascular coagulation-inflammatory circuit in arterial hypertension. Sci Transl Med. 2017;9.
• Beck F, Geiger J, Gambaryan S, Solari FA, Dell'Aica M, Loroch S, Mattheij NJ, Mindukshev I, Potz O, Jurk K, Burkhart JM, Fufezan C, Heemskerk JW, Walter U, Zahedi RP and Sickmann A. Temporal quantitative phosphoproteomics of ADP stimulation reveals novel central nodes in platelet activation and inhibition. Blood. 2017;129:e1-e12.

Reviews

• Jurk K. Thrombozytopenie [Thrombocytopenia]. MMW Fortschr Med. 2021 Oct;163(17):60-62.
• Huang J, Zhang P, Solari FA, Sickmann A, Garcia A, Jurk K, Heemskerk JWM. Molecular Proteomics and Signalling of Human Platelets in Health and Disease. Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Sep 13;22(18):9860.
• Baidildinova G, Nagy M, Jurk K, Wild PS, Ten Cate H, van der Meijden PEJ. Soluble Platelet Release Factors as Biomarkers for Cardiovascular Disease. Front Cardiovasc Med. 2021 Jun 21;8:684920.
• Shiravand Y, Walter U, Jurk K. Fine-Tuning of Platelet Responses by Serine/Threonine Protein Kinases and Phosphatases-Just the Beginning. Hamostaseologie. 2021 Jun;41(3):206-216.
• Jurk K, Shiravand Y. Platelet Phenotyping and Function Testing in Thrombocytopenia. J Clin Med. 2021 Mar 7;10(5):1114.
• Lutz J, Jurk K. Platelets in Advanced Chronic Kidney Disease: Two Sides of the Coin. Semin Thromb Hemost 2020;46(3):342-356.
• Jurk K and Walter U. New Insights into Platelet Signalling Pathways by Functional and Proteomic Approaches. Hamostaseologie. 2019;39:140-151.
• Makhoul S, Walter E, Pagel O, Walter U, Sickmann A, Gambaryan S, Smolenski A, Zahedi RP, Jurk K. Effects of the NO/soluble guanylate cyclase/cGMP system on the functions of human platelets. Nitric Oxide. 2018 Jun 1;76:71-80.
• Jurk K. Platelet granules - secretory and secretive. Hamostaseologie. 2017;37:208-210.
• Pagel O, Walter E, Jurk K and Zahedi RP. Taking the stock of granule cargo: Platelet releasate proteomics. Platelets. 2017;28:119-128.
• Lutz J, Jurk K and Schinzel H. Direct oral anticoagulants in patients with chronic kidney disease: patient selection and special considerations. Int J Nephrol Renovasc Dis. 2017;10:135-143.
• Lutz J and Jurk K. Antiplatelet Agents and Anticoagulants in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease - from Pathophysiology to Clinical Practice. Curr Pharm Des. 2017;23:1366-1376.

Editorials

• Kuijpers MJE, Heemskerk JWM, Jurk K. Molecular Mechanisms of Hemostasis, Thrombosis and Thrombo-Inflammation. Int J Mol Sci. 2022 May 23;23(10):5825.
• Jurk K. Functional Diversity of Primed Platelets-Powered by Machine Learning. Thromb Haemost. 2022 May;122(5):661.