Health + Life Science Alliance Heidelberg Mannheim

Building on the experiences of a prior exploratory study, this project focused on the immunological processes following pediatric cardiac surgeries. These processes significantly contribute to the development of (mostly transient) organ dysfunction in the postoperative period, often delaying recovery in our young patients. The study emphasizes monocyte subpopulations, macrophages, and the impact of released damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). 

The seed-fund provided by the Health + Life Science Alliance enabled us to further strengthen the long-standing collaboration between the Department for Pediatric Cardiology and Congenital Heart Diseases at the Center for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine of Heidelberg University Hospital and the Flow Cytometry Core Facility at the DKFZ Heidelberg. For several years, excess patient samples have been preserved for research purposes within the Pediatric Cardiology Biomaterial Bank under the organizational framework of the BMBH. 

As part of the current study, we collected samples from ten infant patients with parental consent. These included blood samples at various time points, as well as different biological residual materials (tracheal aspirate, wound drainage fluid, and urine) collected simultaneously. The measurement instruments available at the Core Facility, particularly multiparametric spectral flow cytometry, allow for a detailed analysis of minimal sample volumes - a necessity given the limited quantities that can be ethically obtained from our young patients. Together with our partners at the DKFZ, we developed a protocol tailored to addressing our research questions. Additionally, we see a significant opportunity in the future use of excess residual materials (tracheal aspirate, wound drainage fluid, and urine) for diagnostic purposes, which can be collected without placing additional burden on our patients. With the insights gained from the current project, we hope to implement this approach on a larger scale in the future.