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Patients differ. The more precise the diagnosis and the more targeted the therapy, the better the individual needs of patients can be met. This is the goal of The LOOP Zurich. The new translational research center wants to improve our basic understanding of diseases to develop therapies that are tailored to the individual. To this end, it combines basic research in biomedicine and bioinformatics from the University of Zurich (UZH) and ETH Zurich with clinical research from the University’s four hospitals – the UniversityHospital Zurich (USZ), the University Children’s Hospital Zurich (KiSpi), the University Hospital Balgrist and the University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich (PUK).

The hospitals’ unparalleled access to patients and the combined research infrastructures at UZH and ETH provide The Loop Zurich with a unique starting point. “We’re bringing together the best researchers in biomedical research, clinical research and bioinformatics to conduct innovative research together,” says Beatrice Beck-Schimmer, Vice President Medicine at UZH. Detlef Günther, Vice President for Research at ETH Zurich and Chair of the Executive Board of the University Medicine Zurich initiative, adds: “We have the basic research, innovative diagnostics and specialist knowledge in handling medical data to frame and answer excellent scientific questions together. If we can tap into the interdisciplinary potential of The LOOP Zurich, we will also succeed in bringing the benefits of innovation to patients in the clinics as quickly as possible.” The cooperation is expected to bolster precision medicine at the Zurich research hub.

Built on biomedical informatics

One of the new center’s core competencies is in biomedical informatics. To develop bespoke therapies for patients, the research center wants to use improved data analysis and data modeling to gain new insights in diagnostics, therapy and prevention.

The involved institutions have large data collections, but they don’t yet share the research infrastructure needed to exchange and benefit from this medical data in a suitable way. This is set to change with the center’s new biomedical informatics platform, which will be based on the standards of the Swiss Personalized Health Network, the Swiss government’s initiative to make health data interoperable and accessible for research. The new platform will make previously unused data available for use in clinical decision support systems. 

First focal points defined

The center recently launched the first two research consortia, each funded to the tune of CHF 5 million over the next five years (see below). The researchers involved will work hand in hand to develop novel precision therapies in the fields of oncology and neurorehabilitation. “The projects were chosen for their scientific excellence, and because Zurich has proven specialist knowledge in these areas. This allows us to take on an important role internationally,” explains Markus Rudin, Founding Director of The LOOP Zurich.

Personalized rehabilitation for stroke and Parkinson’s patients

The research consortium StimuLOOP led by Professor Andreas Luft (UZH) and Professor Roger Gassert (ETH) explores motor rehabilitation in stroke and Parkinson’s patients. “We want to use personalized rehabilitation therapies to improve the patients’ movement in the long term,” says neurologist Andreas Luft.

Two clinical trials are planned, each with around 50 stroke or Parkinson’s patients testing new training and consolidation methods. The researchers intend to use virtual reality to correct deficits in the stroke patients’ gait, e.g. restricted flexion of the knees. This involves the subjects exploring virtual surroundings while on a treadmill and receiving targeted feedback to enable their movement to return to normal. In the second phase of the study, the patients’ newly acquired walking skills will be consolidated. This will be done by monitoring and modulating the subjects’ sleep, as previous studies conducted in Zurich have demonstrated that deep sleep improves patients’ consolidation processes. Here the researchers will use portable technology from the Sleep Loop, one of the University Medicine Zurich’s flagship projects.

In contrast, the training method for Parkinson’s patients relies on deep brain simulation through implanted electrodes. The study will allow patients to observe the targeted nerve signals in the lab in front of a computer, and to then learn how to influence these signals through neurofeedback. By specifically regulating their brain activity while awake, the patients can quickly improve their gait and mobility. As with the stroke patients, they too will consolidate their newly learned motor skills using sleep modulation. 

Some of the individual rehabilitation methods have already been tested in smaller studies. “We now have the opportunity to test them in a more comprehensive context that will give us a bigger picture,” says Andreas Luft. By collecting the same type of data for both groups of patients, it will be possible for the first time to compare the gait and learning processes of stroke and Parkinson’s patients.

The project brings together researchers and clinical therapists from UZH, ETH Zurich, USZ and KiSpi from a variety of fields, including neurosciences, neurorehabilitation, sleep research, medical informatics, biomechanics and neuroengineering. 

Precision treatments for blood cancer patients

From intensive chemotherapy to novel types of immunotherapy such as CAR T-cell therapy, a wide range of treatments is available to children or adults suffering from lymphoma, malignant lymphocytes in the lymph nodes or bone marrow, or acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Thanks to these diverse treatment options, the outlook of patients suffering from these diseases has improved considerably. Unfortunately, in many cases the cancer may reappear because patients are not responding to the treatments sufficiently. It is not yet known exactly which cancer drugs are the right ones for each patient. There is thus a great need for researchers to optimize treatment selection for blood cancer patients. This is where the INTeRCePT research project co-led by UZH hematology professor Thorsten Zenz comes in.

The research consortia has mapped out a three-year observational study with around 50 patients who are being treated at KiSpi or USZ, and who have experienced a relapse of ALL or aggressive lymphoma. Before the patients’ treatments, the researchers will extract cancer cells and cultivate them in the lab. These cell cultures will be tested with the same medications that are given to the patients. The study will then compare the results from the lab with the patients’ clinical progress to develop a predictive method.

What’s new is that the scientists will investigate the biomolecular reactions in ultra-high resolution at the level of individual cells. “This will help us understand the heterogeneity of tumor and normal immune cells, and their interactions,” explains Thorsten Zenz. The goal is to use this method to test all approved cancer drugs for leukemia and lymphoma. Using computational analysis, the scientists will create a detailed map that illustrates which cells respond in which way to the drug’s active ingredients – and thus improve predictions about the effects of the drugs. A subsequent clinical study will then test the drugs with the best predictive scores with the aim of increasing their response rate by 50 percent.  “We hope that many other research groups will be able to benefit from our data,” says Thorsten Zenz.

The research project is highly complex and requires an interdisciplinary approach, with researchers from the fields of medical oncology and hematology, molecular biology, immunology, systems biology, bioinformatics, pediatric oncology in Zurich as well as experts from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) working closely together.

Nathalie Huber, Editor UZH News; Philip Isler, UZH Communications

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• The LOOP Zurich
• University Medicine Zurich
• ETH Zurich – health and medicine
• Swiss Personalized Health Network

• Partner Institutions
• Foundations
• Endowed Professorships
• Organization
• Focal Points
• The LOOP Zurich Translational Projects
• The LOOP Zürich Biomedical Informatics Platform
• Cooperation Technology Platforms
• COVID-19 Projects
• Project Submissions
• Press Releases
• Press Reports
• The LOOP Zurich Platform Projects

Researching Future Treatments

The LOOP Zurich is a medical center for translational research and precision medicine . It focuses on new approaches, better diagnostics, and novel therapies that will benefit patients and society as a whole. The goal is to enhance personalized healthcare by efficiently transferring scientific knowledge into medical practice.

The six founding institutions of The LOOP Zurich are the University of Zurich (UZH), ETH Zurich (ETHZ), and the University Hospitals: University Hospital Zurich (USZ), the University Children’s Hospital Zurich (KiSpi), the University Hospital Balgrist, and the University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich (PUK). These Zurich institutions are combining their strengths in a joint research initiative at The LOOP Zurich.

The basis of The LOOP Zurich’s research projects will be to leverage the scientific expertise of the researchers involved by giving them access to state-of-the-art research infrastructures in biomedicine and quantitative biomedicine, biobanks and extensive databases as well as the latest high-throughput omics technologies.

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Precision medicine built in Zurich keeps patients in the LOOP

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The LOOP Zurich works to treat aggressive blood cancers and aims to increase the drug response rate for these cancers by 50%. Credit: Kateryna Kon/ Science Photo Library/ Getty Images

Despite incredible strides taken in cancer medicine over past decades, many patients endure a prolonged journey of trial and error, searching for the treatment that fits their unique needs. Cancer researchers now shift their focus to precision oncology. This method delves into the intricate details of each patient's cancer, uncovering specific mutations and molecular mechanisms. The goal is to develop personalized, tailored treatments, ensuring that the right drugs are given at the right time.

“There are direct and indirect challenges facing the development of precision oncology therapeutics,” explains Beatrice Beck Schimmer, vice president medicine at the University of Zurich (University Medicine Zurich, UMZH), Switzerland.

“The direct challenge is the fact that cancers are heterogenous, and the metastatic tumour often has a different molecular profile to the original,” says Beck Schimmer. This means that each tumour is like a rare disease, making it hard to stratify patients for clinical trials or for treatment.

“The indirect challenges include the legal, ethical and security issues with the vast quantities of data, along with the costs,” she adds. “We can't change the indirect challenges, but we can support the research.”

The Zurich research community collaborates to tackle the biggest challenges in precision medicine. Credit: The LOOP Zurich

Rising to the precision oncology challenge

The LOOP Zurich brings together basic biomedicine and bioinformatics research from ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich with clinical research from the city’s four university hospitals. Its goal is to improve the understanding of disease through analysing patient data and improve outcomes by driving forward translational research and precision medicine to develop new drugs and increase the precision of existing treatments. This cross-institutional and cross-disciplinary approach allows synergies between the researchers, and more efficient use of resources.

“We are establishing a data platform across the six partner institutions, the BioMedical Informatics Platform (BMIP),” says Markus Rudin, founding director of The LOOP Zurich. Expected to be in place by 2025, BMIP is aligned with the Swiss Personalized Health Network, a Swiss national initiative that is developing, implementing and validating coordinated data infrastructures. BMIP ensures consistency in data input and allows researchers to have access to critical patient-specific data. “This also has applications beyond oncology.”

The LOOP Zurich supports scientists working in a range of disease areas such as neurorehabilitation, infectious diseases, immunology and metabolic disorders, and oncology. The LOOP oncology project ‘INTeRCePT’ is headed by Thorsten Zenz, a member of both the CCCZ and The LOOP Zurich. INTeRCePT as a five-year program focuses on aggressive blood cancers, including lymphoma and acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) in children and adults. It aims to increase the drug response rate for these cancers by 50% through precision medicine, driven by multiomics and artificial intelligence.

The project started in 2021 and will run until 2026. In the first 3 years, researchers test normal and cancerous blood samples from patients who have relapsed, analysing them at single-cell level to determine the precise molecular state. Researchers also use computational analysis to construct a detailed single-cell map of responses to all the drugs used in treatment. The goal is to discover personalized regimens, based on the patient’s disease type and status, that have the highest impact on the chance of recovery.

“In the fourth and fifth year, clinical studies will aim to demonstrate proof-of-principle of the personalized approach,” says Rudin. “This will be a major challenge, but if successful it will have a huge impact. Patients are at the heart of our research.”

Banking data from the silo

The LOOP Zurich is closely associated with the CCCZ and the TPC.

“Clinical and basic science data availability has grown exponentially,” said Andreas Wicki, director of clinical programmes at the CCCZ. “We can generate tens of thousands of data points — up to half a terabyte — from a patient within a couple of weeks.”

The CCCZ is an oncology centre of excellence based at the University of Zurich, University Hospital Zurich, Balgrist University Hospital and the University Children's Hospital Zurich. It combines clinical cancer medicine and cutting-edge research to develop innovative diagnostic and therapeutic concepts towards precision oncology and patient-focused care .

At CCCZ, cancer patients receive high standards of precision care. Some treatments include robotic or minimally invasive tumor surgery, modern radiotherapy technologies, targeted system therapies and immunotherapies. The centre has up to 3,000 new patients each year, who get access to experienced and talented physicians.

“This flow through of patients allows researchers access to patient histories and samples, and plenty of data for machine learning,” says Wicki. “In some research centres and clinics, the data remain in silos. But all data from patients at the CCCZ can flow into machine learning algorithms.”

Workflow of the Tumour Profile Centre: Using -omics data to predict best therapies in patients with cancer. Credit: Tumor Profiler Center

The TPC is a consortium of the University of Zurich, ETH Zurich and the University Hospital Basel —involving more than 100 clinicians and researchers. It has 11 research platforms to learn more about the mechanisms of cancer development and the associated genetic, biochemical and cellular changes through omics technologies. TPC’s efforts are to better understand and predict tumour cell response to cancer medication.

“The TPC has fantastic multiomics capabilities, which it combines with computational approaches,” says Beck Schimmer.

The research amasses a large volume of data from each patient, which is analysed using AI and machine learning, creating a cancer molecular profile.

“The platforms look at the entire signalling pathways and the environment to characterize the tumour,” says Wicki. The profile is then assessed by the Molecular Tumour Board, a group of researchers and oncologists who advise on personalized treatment for the patient. “This happens within two weeks to ensure timely treatment,” he adds.

Growing in Zurich

Zurich is a picturesque lake town with a collaborative research community with University of Zurich, ETH Zurich and University Hospital located door-to-door. Credit: The Loop Zurich

“Nobody can know everything,” says Wicki. He emphasizes that working as part of an interdisciplinary and interinstitutional organization opens access to a breadth of services and interventions for patients, and to cutting-edge science research.

“Talking to biologists, psychologists, physicians and bioinformaticians, we have worked to find a common language,” he adds. “It's been a challenge but it's paying off.”

For more information on the fantastic research happening at University Medicine Zurich (UMZH) and its research institutions The LOOP Zurich, CCCZ and TPC, visit the following websites:

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Prof. Isabelle Arnold, Assistant Professor, Institute of Experimental Immunology, UZH

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The Faculty of Medicine at the University of Zurich is one of the world’s leading health institutions.

Research at the Faculty of Medicine involves the areas of innovation, translation, and implementation.

Through freedom of research and by providing outstanding infrastructure, the Faculty of Medicine fosters excellence in research and trains the next generation of physician scientists.

The resulting diversity in broadest sense empowers us to improve human health through research and translation of novel knowledge.

We provide fertile soil to our basic researchers and physician scientists working in research institutions at the University of Zurich or at one of our academic hospitals.

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“Hochschulmedizin Zurich” supports multidisciplinary research projects in biomedicine and therefore, promotes the sustainable building of novel science networks, competence centers and platforms in Zurich. Hochschulmedizin UZH

The LOOP Zurich

The LOOP Zurich is a translational research center with a focus on biomedicine and bioinformatics. The LOOP Zurich supports projects that optimally exploit the unique and complementing expertise of the University of Zurich, the ETH Zurich and our four academic hospitals in a concerted action. The LOOP Zurich

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The University of Zurich has installed University Research Priority Programs (URPPs) that support innovative, high-risk/high-gain, cross-faculty research consortia. URPPs are supported for 12 years and oftentimes yield sustainable research networks and platforms. University Research Priority Programs

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Like URPPs, the Clinical Research Priority Programs (CRPPs) support multidisciplinary consortia withing the Faculty of Medicine. Fostering physician scientists is an important goal of these programs.

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By using the “Data Protection and Ethics Self-Assessment Tool” (DESAT), researchers can assess, whether their research project involves any data protection and ethical issues that require further investigations. More information can be found here: Data Protection and Ethics Self-Assessment Tool

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The UZH Department of Data Protection can be contacted for consulation in case os specific data protection issues. More information can be found here: UZH Department of Data Protection

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The Clinical Trial Center of the University Hospital Zurich supports researchers in finding solutions for data protection and ethical issues. More information can be found here: USZ Clinical Trials Center

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The research commission is responsible for reviewing grant applications submitted to local foundations as well as to university research programs. The members of the research commission represent the individual disciplines of our faculty.

Prof. Adriano Aguzzi  Prof. Matthias Baumgartner Prof. Burkhard  Becher Prof. Felix Beuschlein Prof. Maries van den Broek Prof. Olivier Devuyst Prof. Oliver Distler Prof. Raimund Dutzler Prof. Daniel Eberli Prof. Thomas Frauenfelder Prof. Ana Guerreiro Stücklin Prof. Simon Hoerstrup Prof. Sebastian Jessberger Prof. Ronald Jung Prof. Brigitte Leeners Prof. Kuno Lehmann Prof. Mitch Levesque Prof. Holger Moch Prof. Anne Müller Prof. Milo Puhan Prof. Boris Quednow Prof. Gerhard Rogler Prof. Frank Ruschitzka Prof. Erich Seifritz  Prof. Lukas Sommer Prof. Klaas Enno Stephan Prof. Silke Sterz Prof. Dominik Straumann Prof. Arnold von Eckardstein Prof. Annelies Zinkernagel

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Four programs are hosted by the Faculty of Medicine:

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A complete list and further information about all PhD programs in the Life Science Graduate School Zurich can be found here

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Overview of funding programs.

An overview of funding programs can be found here Research Funding

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The Faculty of Medicine has established two unique funding programs to promote the career of physician scientists. Both competitive programs cover protected research time, thus enabling the balancing act between clinical duties and research. Grantees will be mentored throughout the grant period.

Filling the Gap is a 2-year career development plan  Filling the Gap

ERC-for-me specifically supports physician scientists by protected time to conceive and write an ERC Starting Grant or ERC Consolidator Grant. Currently, Switzerland is excluded from the ERC programs, but the SNSF covers this vacuum ( SNSF Starting Grants ). Therefore, physician scientists are emphatically invited to submit ERC-for-me proposals. ERC-for-me - Guidelines (PDF, 157 KB)

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List of foundations that support research in (bio)medicine: Foundations and Awards

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Zurich’s Life Sciences Cluster: Cutting-Edge Research in Healthcare

Zurich’s universities make the city one of the most innovative development centers in the field of life sciences.

The ETH Zurich – the best university in mainland Europe according to the QS World University Rankings 2022 – sets the pace: together with the University of Zurich – Switzerland’s largest university – and the ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences – with its application-oriented and academic competence in the spheres of teaching and research – it makes Zurich a major innovation center for life sciences.

For over 20 years, initiatives such as the Bio-Technopark Schlieren in the field of biotechnology or Smart Start and the Technopark Zurich in the sphere of medical technology have been creating a breeding ground to enable spin-offs from the universities to transpose their research findings into marketable products.

The business incubator, grow, Balgrist Campus, University Hospital Zurich, and the Empa research institute in Dübendorf also contribute towards the interaction between research, development, industry, and practice. As a result, the Zurich Greater Area presents itself as a dynamic innovation driver for life sciences in Europe.

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Our goal is to improve the treatment and care of adults and children with cancer. At CCCZ, interdisciplinary teams of scientists and physicians develop innovative technologies and translate insights from basic research into new cancer therapies.

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Gut bacteria: the smart helper in the fight against cancer

The composition of the intestinal flora can have a decisive influence on whether immunotherapy used to treat cancer will be successful or not. Researchers at the University of Zurich and the University Hospital Zurich are pooling their strengths as part of the Cancer-MicroBiome project: the crack team of gastroenterologists, dermatologists, and oncologists are aiming to figure out the mechanisms that boost the immune system and thus put cancer in its place.

Prof. Dr. med. Michael Scharl Chief of Service in the Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at University Hospital Zurich and professor of translational microbiome research at the University of Zurich +41 44 255 34 19 [email protected]

UMZH institutions

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Recovered patients donate their stool

At University Hospital Zurich, Marianne Schütz* is meeting gastroenterologist Prof. Michael Scharl for a consultation. She is one of five former cancer patients selected to play an important role in the Cancer- MicroBiome project being run by the Comprehensive Cancer Center Zurich. When Marianne was diagnosed with skin cancer five years ago, she was given immunotherapy. She is now tumor-free. In her case, the immunotherapy – known as immune checkpoint blockade – worked. Unlike chemotherapy or radiotherapy, this treatment does not kill the tumor, but pits the immune system against it by releasing a kind of «brake» holding back the immune cells so that they can tackle the tumor cells more aggressively.

Michael Scharl is a professor involved in translational microbiome research at the University of Zurich and in gastroenterology at University Hospital Zurich. He believes that, in addition to the immunotherapy, the microorganisms in Marianne Schütz’s intestine helped conquer her cancer. That is why she has now become a donor, because the composition of her intestinal flora – her microbiome – could help other cancer patients who have either not responded or not responded well enough to immune checkpoint blockade treatment. The process of transplanting bacteria from another person into a patient’s own intestine is also known among specialists as a fecal microbiota transplant (FMT). Small pilot studies have shown that stool transplants can support the treatment of patients with advanced melanoma. The Cancer-MicroBiome project team is now hoping to get to the bottom of this.

Michael Scharl describes the aim of the project as follows: «We want to figure out the key bacteria and molecular mechanisms between the microbiome and the immune system so that we can increase the effectiveness of immunotherapy in fighting cancer.» To achieve this, plans are being made at University Hospital Zurich to perform stool transplants on patients with skin, lung and other types of cancer who – unlike Marianne Schütz – have not responded to immunotherapy. The first stage, scheduled to begin in July 2022, involves transferring stool samples from people who have recovered from cancer to current cancer patients.

They want to revolutionize cancer treatment – with the help of gut bacteria: Anne Müller, Michael Scharl, Mitchell Levesque (from left to right)

The hunt for medical clues

In parallel with the transplants, various researchers are looking into the connection between bacteria and the immune system. The basic hypothesis is that immune cells in the intestinal mucosa recognize signaling molecules produced by bacteria, which affect the immune response. «We already have our eye on various immunomodulators of this kind,» says Prof. Anne Müller, a professor of experimental medicine at the Institute of Molecular Cancer Research at the University of Zurich. She has been conducting research using mouse models and is working closely with Michael Scharl. The mice receive the same stool transplants as the patients at University Hospital Zurich, except that they are given to the animals orally. A mouse’s stomach is less acidic than a human’s, so the microbes can get into the intestine undamaged and unleash their effect.

Anne Müller hopes that the stool transplants will be seen to have a positive impact in animal models too. The idea here is to use this method to treat mice with cancer in parallel with the immunotherapy. The hope is not only that the stool transplants will make the tumors go away completely, but also that the researchers can gain a better understanding of the mechanism behind the effect of these transplants. «This will mean we can make a prognosis thanks to our work,» says Müller. «If we see that a particular donor’s stool is working in a mouse, it might also work in a human.»

Prof. Mitchell Levesque, a professor of experimental immunodermatology at the University of Zurich, is also involved in the project. He is looking for medical clues or signs, known as biomarkers, that could indicate why certain patient groups do not respond to immunotherapy. This is an area where researchers are still in the dark. They still do not know, for example, whether this is down to metabolites or the bacteria themselves boosting the immune system, or whether it is due to a lack of microbes.

Wants to increase the effectiveness of immunotherapy in fighting cancer: Michael Scharl in the laboratory at the Comprehensive Cancer Center Zurich.

Checkpoints block tumor cells

The immune system’s ability to distinguish between normal cells and harmful ones primarily depends on regulators known as checkpoints, which are attached to the surface of the powerful T-cells that form part of the immune defense. A healthy cell activates certain checkpoints on the surface of the T-cell and is therefore identified as a natural part of the body. Abnormal cells, even though they are recognized as such by the T-cells, activate the same checkpoints and thus deceive the immune system. This is where immunotherapy comes in. The checkpoints on tumor cells are blocked with the help of synthetic antibodies known as checkpoint inhibitors. No longer outwitted, the immune cells promptly turn on the malignant tissue in force. «Immune checkpoint blockade therapy has revolutionized cancer treatment,» Mitchell Levesque remarks emphatically. Nevertheless, the cancer continues to progress in a large proportion of patients because they are not responding to immunotherapy.

Transferring bacteria during colonoscopy

Scharl’s team of scientists is now taking a pragmatic approach. They are transplanting stool from five people who have had cancer but responded exceptionally well to immunotherapy and have now been cancer-free for several years into 25 cancer patients who have not had a successful experience with immunotherapy. Marianne Schütz is one of these «super donors.» After completing a safety check, which also covers known pathogens, her particular mix of bacteria is transferred to the large intestine of a test subject who has skin cancer. This is done by means of a colonoscopy procedure.

The microbiome: an innovative approach for precision oncology

It is not yet possible to make a clear distinction between good and bad microbes among the thousand or more different species of bacteria that are normally found in the human intestine. With their microbiome study, the researchers want to find out which bacterial species or microbiological products are conducive to an effective immune system. Analyses of the microbiome in the gut produce huge quantities of data – around 10 terabytes per patient. In addition to this, Scharl and his team are also collecting information from, for example, blood cells, serum, intestinal tissue, cancer tissue, and stool. All of this is being examined at molecular level. «We are looking at what kind of metabolites the bacteria produce and analyzing their effect on immune cells,» says Scharl.

These efforts are all in aid of improving future treatment for patients: in the long term, the interdisciplinary team under Michael Scharl, Anne Müller, and Michael Levesque hopes to be able to provide customized microbiome transplants. An even better outcome would be if the right microbe mix could eventually be prescribed in tablet form.

*Name changed by the editors.

Stool from cancer patients is examined at molecular level.

Anne Müller (Audio file in German)

«gut bacteria influence the effectiveness of immunotherapy».

Prof. Anne Müller is a professor of experimental medicine at the Institute of Molecular Cancer Research at the University of Zurich.

Michael Scharl (Audio file in German)

«by transplanting stool, we can make immunotherapy more effective against cancer».

Prof. Michael Scharl is Chief of Service in the Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at University Hospital Zurich and a professor of translational microbiome research at the University of Zurich.

Mitchell Levesque

«our study is revolutionary. it changes our perspective on how we treat cancer».

Prof. Mitchell Levesque is a research group leader in experimental immunodermatology in the Department of Dermatology at University Hospital Zurich and a professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Zurich.

Patient (Anonymous, audio file in German)

«for me it was clear that i would participate in the study».

The patient is a recipient of a stool transplant.

Would you like a second opinion? Our joint center of excellence, the Comprehensive Cancer Center Zürich offers cancer patients a specialist expert opinion to help them to make an informed decision.

Dermatology online: University Hospital Zurich’s online skin check tool (in German)

Microbiome: Clinic at University Hospital Zurich

Microbiome: The microbiome refers to all of the microorganisms that live in the gut.

Checkpoint inhibitors: Checkpoint inhibitors are a type of immunotherapy. These are designed to release the brakes on the body’s immune system. This strengthens its existing but inactive immune response and fights the cancer.

Fecal microbiota transplant: Transplanting the gut bacteria of one person into the intestines of another person using colonoscopy.

T-cells: T-cells are a kind of white blood cell, and are an important part of the body’s immune defenses. They recognize cells that are infected with a virus and kill them.

Gastroenterology: Gastroenterology/hepatology covers the diagnosis and treatment of stomach, intestinal, pancreatic and liver diseases.

Translational research: The results of translational research are «translated», i.e. made suitable, for use in everyday clinical practice.

Melanoma: Melanoma is a kind of malignant tumor that results from the degeneration of melanin-generating cells in the skin. It is not the most common type of skin cancer, but is the most malignant. Melanoma can metastasize and is responsible for more than 90 percent of all deaths from skin cancer.

Who is co-financing this project? (in CHF millions)

CCCZ The project funding lasts from 2022 to 2025

Text and audio: Rebekka Haefeli , Marita Fuchs Pictures: Frank Brüderli University of Zurich: Anne Müller , Michael Scharl , Mitchell Levesque University Hospital Zurich: Michael Scharl , Mitchell Levesque , Christian Britschgi

Zurich Medical Research Center is Now Our Partner

Zurich Medical Research Center has become IRAO’s official partner.

IRAO customers now will benefit from 10% more coverage when applying for laboratory tests. Family members of the insured will also receive a 50% discount, regardless of the settlement and number of tests.

To activate the discount, present the personal number of the IRAO health insurance policy holder at the center.

Address: Tbilisi, Bidzina Kvernadze Street #13 Contact number: 032 288 01 01

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Health and medicine

ETH Zurich uses its wide range of skills to make a significant contribution to the continued development of medical research and training and the promotion of the transfer of new findings into medical practice.

The aging society in the industrialized nations requires technological solutions for prevention, diagnostics, therapy and rehabilitation that are affordable and sustainable across generations. Novel approaches to medicine are being developed with the help of data science and digitization, as well as new technologies from engineering and the life sciences. We understand health not only as the result of medical procedures, but also as the result of external influences such as nutrition, environmental pollution and personal lifestyle.

About a third of ETH Zurich’s professors in nine different departments are directly or indirectly involved in medical research, from natural scientists to engineers. Their main activities include medically relevant fundamental research, diagnostics, medical technologies, pharmaka and the development of bioactive substances. Computer scientists, who use  data analysis and machine learning to drive the field of personalised medicine, also have an increasingly important role.

The close collaboration with clinics and the novel platforms for clinical research improve the translation of new research results into medically relevant applications. Through the instatement of new professorships, which develop and lead new types of clinical studies, cutting-edge research is promoted.

Building on the engagement of already running national initiatives such as the « external page Swiss Personalized Health Network call_made » and the strategic initiative « external page Personalized Health and Related Technologies call_made » of the ETH domain, we strengthen our commitment to the Swiss healthcare system, and continue investing into the collaboration with Universities, clinics and industry to foster translation into the clinic (e.g. "Tumor Profiler").

To meet the rapid developments in medicine, the Bachelor’s in Medicine has been introduced at ETH in autumn 2017 and together with the collaborating universities is made permanent in the current phase. Additionally a MAS in Digital Clinical Research and the MedLab Fellowship set the ideal basis for doctors to widen their research knowledge and getting familiar with ETH as an institution.

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Partnerships and initiatives

external page Botnar Research Centre for Child Health call_made – consisting of a collaboration between ETH and the University of Basel, funded by the Fondation Botnar - is dedicated to pediatric research and health challenges in developing countries.

external page ETH@KSB call_made - Kantonsspital Baden and ETH Zurich cooperate in medical teaching as well as in clinical and experimental research.

ETHeart / ZurichHeart - interdisciplinary flagship project of the Hochschulmedizin Zürich. The aim of the project is to develop a fully implantable artificial heart.

external page Hochschulmedizin Zürich call_made – Cooperation with UZH and university hospitals.

external page National Data Streams call_made - NDS, launched by PHRT and SPHN, are multidisciplinary, consortial research infrastructures in which a national network of clinical and scientific/technical partners collaborate.

external page PHRT call_made - Personalized Health and Related Technologies is a strategic focus of the ETH Domain, comprising the research institutions ETHZ, EPFL, PSI, EMPA, Eawag and WSL.

SEC Future Health Technologies - Singapore-ETH Centre's Future Health Technologies (FHT) is developing a mobile health technology approach that leverages scalable digital technologies to transform the healthcare system towards a community-based and patient-centered model along the entire care chain.

external page SKINTEGRITY call_made – an ETH+ initiative, brings together researchers from ETH, the University of Zurich and the University Hospital Zurich, around the topics of skin defects and serious skin diseases.

external page SPHN call_made - The Swiss Personalized Health Network is a national initiative led by the Schweizerische Akademie für Medizinische Wissenschaften (SAMS).

external page The LOOP Zurich call_made – Cooperation of ETH Zurich with the University of Zurich and the university hospitals to promote translational research and precision medicine.

external page Tumor Profiler Center call_made - The Tumor Profiler Study is an observational clinical trial that combines a prospective diagnostic approach to evaluate the relevance of detailed tumor profiling to support clinical decision-making with an exploratory approach to improve biological understanding of disease.

external page UMZH call_made - The Universitäre Medizin Zürich unites the Zurich universities and university hospitals: University of Zurich, ETH Zurich, University Hospital Zurich, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Balgrist University Hospital and Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich.

external page Wyss Zurich call_made – Collaboration between ETH and UZH for the translation of results from basic research into application in the health sector, funded by the Wyss Foundation.

Competence Centers and NCCRs

external page NCCR Microbiomes call_made – a national focus area, with the goal to unravel the interaction of microorganisms within varying systems (human, animal, plants and environment). external page NCCR RNA&Disease call_made - a national focus area aimed at consolidating and strengthening Switzerland's position in RNA biology through a coordinated, interdisciplinary research program.

RESC - The Competence Center Rehabilitation Engineering and Science Center of Excellence promotes the establishment of a holistic approach to rehabilitation to better meet the needs of people with physical disabilities.

external page Zentrum für Neurowissenschaften Zürich call_made - The ZNZ is a joint competence center of ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich that creates synergies between 1000 neuroscientists in research and teaching. The network includes research groups from UZH, ETH and the university hospitals and clinics in Zurich.

Continuing Education

MAS digital Clinical Research - the MAS digital Clinical Research provides all components for successful clinical research to improve patient care with a special focus on digital technology.

MedLab Fellowship - t he ETH Zurich MedLab Fellowship programme (MedLab Fellows) supports incoming medical doctors at ETH Zurich.

Technology Platforms

dTIP - dTIP is an ETH technology platform created to support researchers in clinical evidence generation and support entrepreneurs with the regulatory aspects of product development.

external page FGCZ call_made - The Functional Genomics Center Zurich is a joint state-​of-the-art research and training facility of the ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich. GMP Facility - The GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) Facility is an ETH technology platform shared with University of Basel and University Hospital Basel.

NEXUS - NEXUS Personalized Health Technologies ist eine Technologieplattform der ETH Zürich, die die Durchführung von translationalen Forschungsprojekten im Bereich personalisierte Gesundheit ermöglicht. NEXUS Personalized Health Technologies is an ETH Technology Platform created to enable and accelerate the execution of translational research projects in the area of personalized health research.

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Aerospace medicine clerkship.

Robert E. Lewis

Web community manager, work tour description, eligibility requirements, application and selection process, logistics of the clerkship, during the clerkship, point of contact, additional resources for aerospace medicine, clerkship faq's.

The application window for the  October 2024 session is open . The next available session will convene October 7-November 1, 2024. Applications for the October 2024 session will close on June 1, 2024 at 1159 CST.

If you have read the FAQ and still have questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me via email at [email protected] , as hybrid work schedules are in place at JSC, and office phones may be manned sporadically until further notice.​

When submitting your application, electronic submissions are strongly preferred. Please refer to the instructions in the application document and ensure that you are using a secure encrypted platform that may require a password or code to access upon receipt. (O365 is the preferred encryption platform, and if your institution has a similar platform, this may be used as well). Not encrypted applications will not be accepted and must be deleted immediately to adhere to NASA JSC policies to protect and handle your PII accordingly. Also, please confirm application receipt and do not assume your application has been received unless confirmed via email by Amy Honors.

The four-week Aerospace Medicine Clerkship is offered twice annually during April and October at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (located in Houston, TX) and typically begins the first Monday and concludes on the last Friday of the month. The clerkship involves formal lectures on space medicine topics and issues, familiarization with the medical aspects of International Space Station operations, design, and function as well as Exploration Medical Capability for deep space exploration. Clerkship participants are required to complete a research project and scientific poster with an accompanying 250 word abstract in a current focus area of space medicine, which will be presented in an open forum poster session for not only the JSC Space Medicine Operations and clinical community, but other interested divisions/elements at JSC.

• Interested persons must be a US Citizen (or hold dual citizenship to include the US)
• The MINIMUM educational requirement is to be in your final year of medical school. (residents and attending physicians are eligible to apply)
• Must have an interest in Aerospace Medicine and plan to apply in future career goals

All applicants must include the following:

• Application
• Statement of Interest
• Curriculum vitae (CV)
• A letter of good standing and recommendation from the school or institution and an official transcript (or diploma if applicable) from the medical school is required. 

Applications are due June 1st for the October clerkship and December 1st for the April clerkship.

Upon completion of the application period, a maximum of 20 students will be selected for each of the clerkships by a committee of NASA flight surgeons and other Space Medicine Training and or Clinical Operations team members. 

Selection is based upon demonstrated interest and career goals involving Aerospace Medicine, academic standing, the content of a Dean’s recommendation (or direct supervisor if graduated) *, research, and work experience.

*  Letter can be from the medical school Dean or Departmental Dean. Supervisor letter would apply to those beyond the 4th year and can provide their diploma.

Application File Download

Aerospace medicine clerkship application.

Sep 14, 2023

PDF (127.36 KB)

You must send your application package via a secure email platform (ex. Gmail Confidential). Many institutions have a secure email platform in which I will create an account/password to access your attachments. Please do not submit your application via regular email as I cannot open them and they will be deleted.

***The email platform MUST be secure/encrypted to comply with NASA/JSC policies to protect your Private Identifiable Information (PII) and in order for your application to be accepted.***

If you find it necessary to Mail your application, please use USPS or a courier to send your application to:

Amy N. Honors NASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center Mail Code SD222 2101 NASA Parkway Houston, Texas 77058 

All costs incurred during the clerkship are your responsibility. NASA JSC or KBR provides no monies for the clerkship.

If selected, to assist with lodging, you will be supplied with access to our local JSC Housing Co-Op as well as recommendations for local hotels, extended stays, and areas to target for AirBnB and VRBO, etc.

You will be supplied with a computer to be used for research purposes only, and access to several collaborative work areas on-site at JSC.

Participants are responsible for their transportation during the clerkship. Participants are also encouraged to carpool with other clerks.

During the clerkship, you will be exposed to a variety of space medicine topics given in presentations, lectures, and tours, such as the medical equipment available to crew members in space, space physiology, radiation monitoring, tours of the training facilities, etc. The daily activities will include both presentations and tours, as well as time for you to work on your project. The schedules are always subject to change. You will be present/available M-F 8:00 am – 5:00 pm. (40 hrs/week) and no required activities scheduled on the weekends.

This clerkship is considered an educational/research clerkship and is non-clinical. Therefore, contact/interaction with patients during the clerkship should not be expected.

Amy Honors       281-483-7050

Below are additional resources for Aerospace Medicine knowledge and networking, some of which may also provide opportunities for non-U.S. citizens.** 

• Aerospace Medical Association (AsMA) 
• Aerospace Medicine Student and Resident Organization (AMSRO)
• University of Texas Medical Branch Principles of Aviation and Space Medicine Short course . Information: 4-week course, also 4th/final year of medical school eligibility. DOES accept foreign national applications. It has many aspects that are not in the clerkship, such as commercial spaceflight and general aviation medicine.   
• NASA Internships  – wide range of opportunities.

Aerospace Medicine Clerkship FAQ’s (PDF, 190KB)

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