Steroid Screen

Coordinator:		Prof. Dr. Jerzy Adamski
Institution:		Institut für Experimentelle Genetik, Helmholtz Zentrum München
Homepage:		www.helmholtz-muenchen.de/en/ieg/group-molecular-endocrinology/index.html

Steroids control the differentiation and proliferation processes of cells and tissues. They further participate in the regulation of apoptosis and neuroregeneration. Defects in steroid metabolism contribute as well to the pathogenesis of many different complex diseases like cancer, polycystic ovary syndrome, diseases of cartilage and bone or neurological diseases. Only few animal models for the study of steroid-related disorders exist so far. The main focus of the steroid screen is the identification of new animal models for human steroid-related diseases. We intend to detect mutant mouse lines with altered steroid metabolism in the primary screen. To accomplish this we focus on the detection of aberrations in the steroid concentrations in plasma of the mice. The key steroids corticosterone, testosterone and andreostenedione are extracted from plasma and quantified by LC-MS/MS. Mice with dwarfism, cataracts, skin defects, limb malformations and distorted reproduction biology or behaviour are the most interesting candidates for the screen since such phenotypic defects are observed in human steroid-related diseases.  

                    



Additional relevant Internet links:
The German Mouse Clinic
Helmholtz Zentrum München