Dr Nourhan Hassan
Postdoctoral researcher, Translational Matrix Biology Team, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
Dr Nourhan Hassan
Dr Nourhan Hassan
About
Postdoctoral researcher; Translational Matrix Biology Team, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany. she have a Doctoral degree in Molecular Biology from University of Münster, Germany.
Current research
In my current research, I am actively involved in an EU-funded HORIZON project (BIOMET4D) based at University Hospital Cologne, Germany, focusing on the development of novel biodegradable shape-morphing implants for dynamic tissue restoration and skin expansion. This project represents a significant advancement in the field of tissue engineering, aiming to address critical challenges in reconstructive surgery and regenerative medicine. One of my primary responsibilities within the project is to explore and evaluate the potential clinical applications of state-of-the-art metallic test probes and implants in vitro and in vivo. This involves designing and conducting cell-culture-based in vitro experiments to evaluate the biocompatibility and efficacy of our novel probes and investigate the effect of probes on different cellular functions. Additionally, I am involved in executing in vivo research, utilizing animal models to assess the performance and safety of the implants in a physiological environment. This would help us investigate the immunological responses triggered by our biometallic materials and their interaction with the host environment influencing the efficacy of biomaterials. One other aspect of our investigations is to uncover novel insights into the underlying mechanisms driving host-biomaterial interaction through transcriptomics revealing genes that can be crucial to inflammation, extracellular matrix dynamics, bone remodeling, coagulation, and other immunological pathways. This approach not only enhances our understanding of the immune response to our novel implant but also opens new avenues for personalized treatment strategies by knowing how individual variations influence biomaterial outcomes so that we mitigate the risk of adverse reactions or implant failure.
Future research vision
During my Ph.D., I focused on elucidating the role of Syndecan-1, a transmembrane proteoglycan, in the therapeutic resistance of breast cancer through different signaling pathways especially echanotransduction signaling within the integrin/FAK pathway. Moreover, my work in the BIOMET4D project enhanced my expertise in mechanotransduction, the fundamental process by which cells sense and respond to mechanical cues from their microenvironment. I gained through this long journey insights into how dysregulated mechanotransduction pathways contribute not only to invasive disorders like cancer but also to other different clinical applications such as skin expansion, whereby mechanical forces applied to the skin trigger cellular responses that lead to tissue growth and expansion. This paves the way to optimize the design of novel biodegradable implants to mimic the mechanical properties of native tissue and promote more efficient tissue regeneration and expansion. Looking ahead, I am excited to continue exploring the role of mechanotransduction in different clinical implications and tissue engineering. I am particularly interested in investigating how mechanical cues can be precisely engineered to modulate cellular behaviors and tissue responses, ultimately leading to the development of innovative therapies for cancer and other diseases as well as advancements in tissue regeneration and repair.
Key publications

Hassan, N., Krieg, T., Zinser, M., Schröder, K., Kröger, N. (2023). An Overview of

Scaffolds and Biomaterials for Skin Expansion and Soft Tissue Regeneration:

Insights on Zinc and Magnesium as New Potential Key Elements. Polymers, 15,

3854. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15193854.

Hassan, N., Bückreiß, N., Efing, J., Schulz-Fincke, M., König, P., Greve, B., Bendas, G., &

Götte, M. (2023). The Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycan Syndecan-1 Triggers Breast

Cancer Cell-Induced Coagulability by Induced Expression of Tissue Factor. Cells,

12(6), 910. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells12060910.

Nassar, E., Hassan, N., El-Ghonaimy, E. A., Hassan, H., Abdullah, M. S., Rottke, T. V.,

Kiesel, L., Greve, B., Ibrahim, S. A., & Götte, M. (2021). Syndecan-1 Promotes

Angiogenesis in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer through the Prognostically

Relevant Tissue Factor Pathway and Additional Angiogenic Routes. Cancers,

13(10), 2318. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers13102318.

Hassan, N., Greve, B., Espinoza-Sánchez, N. A., & Götte, M. (2021). Cell-surface

heparan sulfate proteoglycans as multifunctional integrators of signaling in

cancer. Cellular signalling, 77, 109822. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cellsig.2020.109822.

Hassan, N., Rutsch, N., Győrffy, B., Espinoza-Sánchez, N. A., & Götte, M. (2020).

SETD3 acts as a prognostic marker in breast cancer patients and modulates the

viability and invasion of breast cancer cells. Scientific reports, 10(1), 2262.

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-59057-5.

Key awards

Young Scientist Award in FEBS 2022; ‘Matrix Pathobiology, Signaling, and Molecular

Targets’ Conference.

(https://mpst2022.febsevents.org)(https://twitter.com/IntSocMatBio/status/152404297499640217

8?t=Q6OuJo8E_3y0TC2kew2XJg&s=09)

Best Abstract Prize; “40 th Annual Conference of the German Society for Senology e.V.

(DGS), 2021”.

(https://www.medizin.uni-muenster.de/fakultaet/news/erfolgreiche-premiere-

onkologie-vortragspreis-fuer-stipendiatin-nourhan-hassan.html).

Certificate of awarding of the 1 st prize; “News from the Science, 2019”, German

Menopause Gesellschaft e.V.

(https://www.wissenschaftspreis-dmg.de/the-heparan-sulfate-proteoglycan-syndecan-1-

modulates-breast-cancer-radiation-resistance-in-a-cdk6-dependent-manner/).

FEBS YTF Award in FEBS 2019; ‘Matrix Pathobiology, Signaling, and Molecular

Targets’ Conference.

German Egyptian Long-term Scholarship (GERLS) for the academic year 2016-

2017, in the framework of the co-financed programs under the auspices of the Ministry

of Higher Education and Scientific Research of the Arab Republic of Egypt and the

German Academic Exchange Service.

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