Dresden International Graduate School for Interdisciplinary Life Sciences

Our research aims to understand how adrenal stem cells contribute to tissue maintenance, regeneration, and adaptation to stress, and how these mechanisms may be harnessed for regenerative therapies. We study the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis to uncover how stress influences stem cell behavior and contributes to endocrine, metabolic, and mental health disorders.

We recently identified a novel SOX2-positive stem cell population in the adrenal medulla that is essential for postnatal cellular renewal and differentiation. In addition, we discovered a Nestin-positive progenitor population in the adrenal cortex that remains quiescent during homeostasis but becomes activated under stress, where it migrates and differentiates into steroid-producing cells.

Dysregulation of the stress response is associated with numerous disorders, including depression, anxiety, burnout, dermatitis, metabolic disease, and increased susceptibility to infections. Our work suggests that early-life stress may induce epigenetic changes in HPA-axis stem cells, potentially increasing vulnerability to disease later in life. We are particularly interested in understanding the mechanisms underlying sexually dimorphic stress responses and the systemic effects of chronic stress on stem and immune cell function.

Using in vivo stress models, transcriptomics, molecular biology, and advanced cell culture systems, we investigate the signaling pathways regulating adrenal stem cell activation and stress adaptation. In parallel, we develop in vitro organoid and stem cell differentiation models to generate steroid-producing adrenal cells. Our long-term goal is to apply these approaches toward regenerative therapies for adrenal insufficiency and related endocrine disorders.