Research Group Stefan Dudli
Our group focuses on developing targeted treatments for low back pain with Modic changes and understanding the molecular mechanisms of CRPS. Collaborating with leading hospitals and international consortia, we utilize advanced molecular assays and Omics tools to advance patient care.
Low back pain
The goal of our basic and translational research program is to provide patients with Modic changes a treatment option that alleviates their pain. This requires first to develop biomarkers for Modic changes and subtypes of Modic changes. Second, we investigate the molecular mechanisms in Modic changes. Third, based on this knowledge, we develop targeted treatments for Modic changes. We collaborate closely with the University Hospital Balgrist and we are part of large national and international research consortia like the NIH Backpain consortium (BACPAC) and the UZH Clinical Research Priority Program (CRPP) “Pain”.
CRPS
The goal is to understand the molecular disease mechanisms in affected limbs and identify molecular targets for treatment. We collaborate with the Department of Physical Medicine and Rheumatology at the University Clinic Balgrist, who sees many patients with CRPS. We use state-of-the-art molecular assays and Omics tools such as bulk and single cell transcriptomics, high-throughput multicolor spectral flow cytometry, and advanced mass spectrometry to achieve our goals.
We use state-of-the-art molecular assays and Omics tools such as bulk and single cell transcriptomics, high-throughput multicolor spectral flow cytometry, and advanced mass spectrometry to achieve our goals.
Dudli-LabOur Projects
The goal is to identify low back pain phenotypes by analyzing biological, biophysical, psychological, and social data from the REACH cohort (University of California San Francisco) and the CRPP Pain cohort (University of Zurich). This will allow to construct a biopsychosocial model for CLBP that can become the basis to move from the current empirical and often unsatisfactory therapeutic approaches to personalized targeting of specific mechanisms in CLBP patients. Funders: CRPP Pain, NIH BACPAC, Olga Mayenfisch Stiftung
The goal is to unravel the disc/bone marrow cross-talk in MC. This will provide a multi-compartmental understanding of the immune-cross talk between the intervertebral disc, the endplate, and the bone marrow in MC. Funders: Swiss National Science Foundation, Novartis Foundation for Medical-Biological Research, University of Zurich.
The goal of the project is to develop a treatment that prevents disc re-herniation and progressive disc degeneration after herniation. This is a collaborative project between our group, the group of Sibylle Grad at the AO Research Institute (ARI) in Davos, and Prof. Jess Snedeker (ETH Zurich/Balgrist/Zurimed®).
In this strictly translational project, we develop the first disease-modifying treatment for Modic changes. We leverage our advance in the understanding of Modic change pathophysiology to develop a cell-based treatment. Funders: USZ Health Innovation Hub, UZH Entrepreneur Fellowship Program, Innosuisse, Vontobel foundation.
We investigate skin and blood from CRPS patients. We are particularly interested in the molecular signaling pathways that regulate pain processing in the affected skin. Funders: RSDSA, Stiftung für Rheumaforschung, MLR Stiftung.
Selected Publications
- Heggli I*, Mengis T, Laux CJ, Opitz L, Herger N, Menghini D, Schuepbach R, Farshad-Amacker NA, Brunner F, Fields AJ, Farshad M, Distler O, Dudli S. Low back pain patients with Modic type 1 changes exhibit distinct bacterial and non-bacterial subtypes. Osteoarthr Cartil Open. 6(1):100434
- Mengis T*, Bernhard L, Nüesch A, Heggli I, Herger N, Devan J, Marcus R, Laux CJ, Brunner F, Farshad M, Distler O, Le Maitre CL, Dudli S. Expression of toll-like receptors in cartilage endplates cells: a role of toll-like receptor 2 in pro-inflammatory and catabolic gene expression. Cells. 13(17):1402
- Dudli S*, Fields AJ, Samartzis D. Karppinen J, Lotz JC. Pathobiology of Modic Changes. Eur Spine J. 25(11):3723-3734. (review article)
- Dr. Phelipe Hatt, Postdoc