On 5 November 2014, the German Bundespräsident Joachim Gauck together with the First lady Mrs Daniela Schadt and Grand Duke Henry visited the new University Campus Belval during their state visit to Luxembourg.

At first the delegation visited the Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB). Its director Prof. Dr Rudi Balling explained the interdisciplinary research approach the centre takes to understand neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease. Biologists, medical doctors and computer scientists work together to tackle the complex problems in biomedicine and to ultimately contribute to personalized medicine.

The importance of ICT in biomedicine was exemplified with a presentation of the LCSB’s Parkinson’s disease map (PD map). By integrating our ever growing scientific knowledge of Parkinson’s disease in a single tool, the PD map provides researchers, clinicians and students a comprehensive and current view on the different molecular mechanisms involved in the disease. In its design, the tool resembles a digital street map, which allows easy and fast navigation through the cellular structures and the knowledge on individual cellular components and their interactions.

The delegation then visited the laboratories of Prof. Dr Rejko Krüger and Prof. Dr Jens Schwamborn. Both groups aim to develop new therapies for Parkinson’s patients. To this end they use so-called induced pluripotent stem cell approaches: starting with skin cells from an individual patient, the researchers can reprogram the cells back into the state of a stem cell which they can subsequently turn into new nerve cells. These cells can either be used for personalized screening for new medications or serve as starting point to replace the cells that have degenerated in Parkinson’s disease. The research group recently succeeded in implanting the new nerve cells stably into the brain of a mouse. The ongoing research projects now focus on optimizing this procedure for future therapeutic interventions.

The visit at the LCSB was followed with a lunch hosted by the Rector Rolf Tarrach on the 17th floor of the new Maison du Savoir, where the Bundespräsident signed the golden book of the University. From this location the visitors could get a unique overview over the entire Campus Belval where the innovative University buildings meet the remnants of Luxembourg’s steel industry era.

Bundespräsident Joachim Gauck signing the golden book of the University

Slideshow from the left: University president Rolf Tarrach, the Chamber of deputies president Mars di Bartolomeo, Minister François Bausch, First Lady Daniela Schadt, Minister Claude Meisch, Bundespräsident Joachim Gauck, Secretary of State Marc Hansen as well as Grand Duke Henri

Photos: © Université du Luxembourg, Michel Brumat