DIVISION OF EXPERIMENTAL PATHOPHYSIOLOGY & IMMUNOLOGY
  Laboratory of Molecular Endocrinology

    Professor Siegfried Schwarz, M.D. Dr. h.c. (retired since Sept. 30, 2017)  
   Telephone: +43 (0) 512-9003.70975

    Since Nov. 7, 2016 Honorary Doctor (Dr. h.c.) of Science (Medicine) of the Suranaree University of Technology (SUT), bestowed by  
    HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand 



   This laboratory's work has focussed on the study of various hormone/neurotransmitter binding proteins and receptors. 
   Key papers describe

   - Interaction and modulation of production of Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG) by the steroidal drug Danazol
   - The first description and discovery of SHBG in human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
   - Modulation of receptor-selective sigma and phencyclidine receptor ligands by ions
   - Demonstration of homocysteate as a N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-selective excitatory and possibly neurotoxic agonist
   - Steroids and steroid binding globulin levels in human CSF (non-genomic actions on brain neurotransmitter systems feasable?)
   - The first description of an epitope map of the glycoprotein hormone hCG
   - Comparison of epitope maps of hCG with various pI variants of hCG
   - Construction of epitope-selective immunoassays for glycoprotein hormones
   - Demonstration of different orientations of receptor-bound hCG vs. degly-hCG (an antagonist of hCG)
   - Prediction of the 3D structure of the extracellular domain of the hCG receptor
   - Characterization of an apoptotic activity within urinary hCG preparations towards Kaposi s sarcoma cells 
      (supported by an European Community BIOMED2 Concerted Action on Pathogenesis of Kaposi s sarcoma programme).
   - Demonstration of the importance of vasopressin in critical ill patients.


   To see a complete list of all Publications and book articles published by Prof. S. Schwarz,  click here



   Current main activities: Teaching 
  1. Neuropathophysiology to Medical Students  at the Paracelsus Private Medical University in Salzburg  (since 2016)
  2. Pathophysiology to Biology Students at the University of Innsbruck (since 2017)
  3. Pathophysiology to Medical Students at the Charles University in Prag/Pilzen, CR (since 2015)
  4. Pathophysiology to Medical Students at the Suranaree University of Technology SUT in Nakhon Ratchasima, TH (since 2007)
  5. Pathophysiology to Medical Students at the Mae Fah Luang University of Technology in Chiang Rai, TH
  6. Pathophysiology and Principles of Diagnostics to Master Students at the Fachhochschule Gesundheit in Innsbruck
  7. Pathophysiology and Principles of Diagnostics to Master Students at the DIW-MTA (Deutsches Institut für Weiterbildung) in Berlin

   Previous academic activities: 
    -Vice Rector for Study Affairs-appointed coordinator of the module Endocrinology
    -coordinator of the  4th semester
    -organizer of the SIP3A (summative integrative examination at the end of the 6th semester)
    -deputy chief examiner at the yearly EMS (Eingangstest Medizin Innsbruck)
    -member of the examination board for SIP3A.

   MUI homepage reports:
    2007, see timetable here
    2008,  2009,  2010, 2011  2012,  2013  2014,  2015,  2016 and SUT cooperation partners 




                           

   FUNKTIONELLE PATHOLOGIE, published in 1987 by Gustav Fischer Verlag, Stuttgart
   LABORDIAGNOSTISCHE METHODEN, published in 1995, 97, 99, 2001 by STUDIA, Innsbruck
   MOLECULES OF LIFE & MUTATIONS, published in 2002 by Karger, Basel, for discussion and recommendation of the book
   This book received in the 2003 Medical Book Competition of the  British Medical Association  the Award HIGHLY COMMENDED
   PATHOPHYSIOLOGY, published in 2007 by Maudrich , Vienna, for details of the book, see the following link. for reviews,  
   click here as well as here.

 This book was cited on the 1st place by  Wikipedia for explaining the term PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
   Copies of these and other books of S.Schwarz are present and registered 
   in the Universitaets- & Landesbibliothek Tirol, 
   in the Oesterreichische Nationalbibliothek Vienna, 
   in the SUT (Suranaree University of Technology, Thailand) library
   in the National Library of Medicine in Washington D.C./Bethesda, MD as well as others.


   In 2018, for the 7th time Prof. Schwarz organizes together with Prof. Gessl (Vienna) and Prof. Stepan (Graz) an 
   Intensive Course in Clinical Endocrinology under the auspices of the Austrian Society for Endocrinology & Metabolism 
   (oeges.at) in the Castle of Seggau, south of Graz/Styria (www.seggau.com) 


   



   In 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014 Dr. Schwarz has designed and edited the respective Biannual Reports of the Biocenter.
   Also, he created the logo of the Biocenter (to be seen in the brochure's cover). 
   From 2010 until 2017, Prof. Schwarz has edited 35 issues of the Biocenter NEWSLETTER.

                                             



   Prof. Schwarz gave 15 framed pictures of "educative" molecules together with explanatory texts on their involvement in 
   genetic diseases to the new University Pediatric Center as well as to the new CCB. This series of pictures is entitled 

      


   (the term being coined & provided by Prof. Stephan Geley).  An example shown here is the human growth hormone (GH) receptor
   homodimer(white and grey), together with 1 molecule GH (magenta). 
   For the exhibition flyer  click here!
   for the complete broschure, click  here!  



   click here for further artwork of  Prof. Schwarz



   
   Former collaborators of Prof. S. Schwarz

   
   R.Moncayo        R. Faessler         E.Nelboeck         H. Krude      C. Lottersberger      F. Wernig 

   Roy Moncayo, MD, Professor, Postdoc 1982-83, Radioimmunoassay development
   Clinic of Nuclear Medicine, Innsbruck Medical University, Anichstrasse, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria

   Reinhard Faessler, MD, Professor, Postdoc 1985-87, SHBG, androgen receptor
   DirectorMax-Planck-Institute for Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany

   Elisabeth Nelboeck-Huber, MD, Cardiologist, Thesis student, medicine 1986-88, topic: hCG receptor
   Specialist in Internal Medicine, Herzzentrum Alter Hof, Dienerstrasse 12, 80331 Muenchen, Germany

   Heiko Krude, MD, Professor, Thesis student and Postdoc, medicine 1990-92, topic: hCG receptor
   Director Charite, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Institut fuer Experimentelle, Paediatrische Endokrinologie, Augustenburger Platz 1 
   13353 Berlin-Wedding, Germany 

   Clemens Lottersberger, MD, , Thesis student, medicine 1993-94, topic: hCG variants
   Director Department of Radiology, County Hospital Schwaz, Swarovskistrasse 1-3, 6130  Schwaz, Austria

   Monika Lang, PhD, Postdoc 1996-97, topic: hCG, Kaposi's sarcoma

   Birgit Roth, MD, Thesis student, medicine 1997-98, topic: hCG, Kaposi's sarcoma

   Florian Wernig, MD, thesis student, medicine 1998-90, topic: Kaposi' sarcoma 
   St.George's Hospital Medical School, Cardiological Sciences, Cranmer Terrace, Tooting, London SW17 0RE, UK

   Nadine Halbmayr, MD, diploma student, medicine 2009, topic: metabolic syndrome
   Veronika Fritz, MD, diploma student, medicine 2010, topic: hCG, leaky gut hypothesis


   
   Collaborating colleagues of Prof. S. Schwarz
   
   Peter Berger, Innsbruck - Jean-Michel Bidart, Villejuif - Brian M Cox, Bethesda - Silvia Donini, Rom - Martin Duenser, Innsbruck -  
   Barbara Ensoli, Rom - Herwig Frisch, Wien - Franz Gabl, Innsbruck - Stephan Geley, Innsbruck - Michael Hackl, Innsbruck -   
   Arno Helmberg, Innsbruck - Hartmann Hinterhuber, Innsbruck - Helmut Hintner, Salzburg - Christoph Huber, Innsbruck -   
   Heinz Huber, Innsbruck - Stefan Jochberger, Innsbruck - Henry Keutmann, Boston - Reinhard Kofler, Innsbruck - 
   Kurt Loewit, Innsbruck - Klaus Mann, Essen - Wolfgang E Merz, Heidelberg - Dorothea Pastner, Innsbruck - Thomas Platz, Innsbruck - 
   Peter Pohl, Innsbruck - Andreas Ritsch, Innsbruck - David Rodbard, Bethesda - G Enrico Rovati, Mailand - Peter Spath, Graz - 
   Michael Stuerzl, Erlangen - Gerd Tappeiner, Wien - Georg Wick, Innsbruck - Guangzhao Zhou, Bethesda 



   
   For a complete list of all publications and book articles click here



   Selected peer-reviewed Publications by Prof. S. Schwarz
   

   Oppl B, Kofler A, Schwarz S, Rainer J Kofler R. Establishing a sensitive and specific assay for determination of glucocorticoid 
   bioactivity (Entwicklung eines sensitiven und spezifischen Assays zur Bestimmung von Glucocorticoid-Bioaktivitaet). Wie Kli Wschr
   2011, DOI: 10.1007/s00508-011-1562-yOnline Firstª, PMID: 21465082

   Jochberger S, Morgenthaler NG, Mayr VD, Luckner G, Wenzel V, Ulmer H, Schwarz S, Hasibeder WR, Friesenecker BE, Duenser MW.
   Copeptin and arginine vasopressin concentrations in critically ill patients. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2006 Nov;91(11):4381-6.

   Lottersberger C, Hoermann R, Mann K, Schwarz S, Berger P. Tumor- and pregnancy-derived isoforms of human chorionic 
   gonadotropin: biological and diagnostic relevance. Horm Res. 2003;59(3):125-34.

   Krude H, Schuetz B, Biebermann H, von Moers A, Schnabel D, Neitzel H, Toennies H, Weise D, Lafferty A, Schwarz S, DeFelice M, 
   von Deimling A, van Landeghem F, DiLauro R, Grueters A. Choreoathetosis, hypothyroidism, and pulmonary alterations due to human 
   NKX2-1 haploinsufficiency. J Clin Invest. 2002 Feb;109(4):475-80.

   Lechner O, Dietrich H, Oliveira dos Santos A, Wiegers GJ, Schwarz S, Harbutz M, Herold M, Wick G. Altered circadian rhythms of the 
   stress hormone and melatonin response in lupus-prone MRL/MP-fas(Ipr) mice. J Autoimmun. 2000 Jun;14(4):325-33.

   Lang ME, Lottersberger C, Roth B, Boeck G, Recheis H, Sgonc R, Stuerzl M, Albini A, Tschachler E, Zangerle R, Donini S, Feichtinger H, 
   Schwarz S. Induction of apoptosis in Kaposi's sarcoma spindle cell cultures by the subunits of human chorionic gonadotropin. 
   AIDS. 1997 Sep;11(11):1333-40.

   Berger P, Bidart JM, Delves PS, Dirnhofer S, Hoermann R, Isaacs N, Jackson A, Klonisch T, Lapthorn A, Lund T, Mann K, Roitt I, 
   Schwarz S, Wick G. mapping of gonadotropins. Mol Cell Endocrinol. 1996 Dec 20;125(1-2):33-43. Review.

   Lechner O, Hu Y, Jafarian-Tehrani M, Dietrich H, Schwarz S, Herold M, Haour F, Wick G. Disturbed immunoendocrine communication 
   via the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis in murine lupus. Brain Behav Immun. 1996 Dec;10(4):337-50.

   Geley S, Kapelari K, Joehrer K, Peter M, Glatzl J, Vierhapper H, Schwarz S, Helmberg A, Sippell WG, White PC, Kofler R. CYP11B1 
   mutations causing congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 11 beta-hydroxylase deficiency. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1996 
   Aug;81(8):2896-901.

   Schwarz S, Pohl P. Steroids and opioid receptors. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 1994 Mar;48(4):391-402.

   Wick G, Hu Y, Schwarz S, Kroemer G. Immunoendocrine communication via the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis in 
   autoimmune diseases. Endocr Rev. 1993 Oct;14(5):539-63. Review. 

   Berger P, Schwarz S, Spoettl G, Wick G, Mann K. Variants of human chorionic gonadotropin from pregnant women and 
   tumor patients recognized by monoclonal antibodies. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1993 Aug;77(2):347-51.

   Schwarz S, Pohl P. Steroid hormones and steroid hormone binding globulins in cerebrospinal fluid studied in individuals with intact 
   and with disturbed blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier. Neuroendocrinology. 1992 Feb;55(2):174-82.

   Schwarz S, Krude H.  [The human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) receptor: a new class within the family of GTP protein coupled 
   receptors. Epitope mapping of receptor-bound agonistic and antagonistic forms of hCG]. Wien Klin Wochenschr. 
   1992;104(13):369-90. Review. German.

   Schwarz S, Krude H, Wick G, Berger P. Twelve of fourteen surface epitopes of receptor-bound human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) 
   being antibody-inaccessible suggest an extensive involvement of the long extracellular domain of the hCG receptor. 
   Mol Cell Endocrinol. 1991 Nov;82(1):71-9.

   Schwarz S, Krude H, Klieber R, Dirnhofer S, Lottersberger C, Merz WE, Wick G, Berger P. Number and topography of epitopes of 
   human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) are shared by desialylated and deglycosylated hCG. Mol Cell Endocrinol. 1991 Sep;80(1-3):
   33-40.

   Hackl JM, Gottardis M, Wieser C, Rumpl E, Stadler C, Schwarz S, Moncayo R. Endocrine abnormalities in severe traumatic 
   brain injury--a cue to prognosis in severe craniocerebral trauma? Intensive Care Med. 1991;17(1):25-9.

   Schwarz S, Krude H, Nelboeck E, Berger P, Merz WE, Wick G. Relationship of orientation with affinity and activity of receptor-bound 
   glycosylation variants of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), as visualized by monoclonal antibodies (MCA). 
   J Recept Res. 1991;11(1-4):437-58.

   Schwarz S, Pohl P. Lack of evidence for in vivo interaction of steroids with haloperidol-sensitive sigma (sigma H) binding sites 
   in brain and spleen. Prog Clin Biol Res. 1990;328:17-20.

   Schwarz S, Zhou GZ, Katki AG, Rodbard D. L-homocysteate stimulates [3H]MK-801 binding to the phencyclidine recognition site 
   and is thus an agonist for the N-methyl-D-aspartate-operated cation channel. Neuroscience. 1990;37(1):193-200.

   Schwarz S, Pohl P, Zhou G-Z.   Steroid binding at sigma receptors. Science 1989; 246: 1635-7.

   Faessler R, Dietrich H, Kroemer G, Schwarz S, Brezinschek HP, Wick G. Diminished glucocorticoid tonus in obese strain (OS) 
   chickens withspontaneous autoimmune thyroiditis: increased plasma levels of a physicochemically unaltered corticosteroid-binding 
   globulin but normal total corticosterone plasma concentration and normal glucocorticoid receptor contents in lymphoid tissues. 
   J Steroid Biochem. 1988;30(1-6):375-9.

   Schwarz S, Berger P, Nelboeck E, Khashabi D, Panmoung W, Klieber R, Wick G. Probing the receptor-interaction of glycoprotein 
   hormones with monoclonal antibodies. J Recept Res. 1988;8(1-4):437-53.

   Schwarz S, Berger P, Frisch H, Moncayo R, Phillips JA 3rd, Wick G. Growth hormone blocking antibodies in a patient with 
   deletion of the GH-N gene. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 1987 Aug;27(2):213-24. 

   Schauenstein K, Faessler R, Dietrich H, Schwarz S, Kroemer G,  Wick G. Disturbed immune-endocrine communication in 
   autoimmune disease. Lack of  corticosterone response to immune signals in Obese strain chickens with spontaneous 
   autoimmune thyroiditis. J Immunol 1987, 139: 1830-1833

   Schwarz S, Berger P, Wick G. The antigenic surface of human chorionic gonadotropin as mapped by murine monoclonal antibodies. 
   Endocrinology. 1986; 118(1):189-97.

   Faessler R, Schwarz S, Dietrich H,  Wick G. Sex steroid and glucocorticoid receptors in the bursa of Fabricius of obese strain 
   chickens spontaneously developing autoimmune thyroiditis. J Steroid Biochem 1986, 24: 405-411

   Faessler R, Schwarz S, Pohl P. Demonstration of sex hormone binding globulin in human cerebrospinal fluid. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf) 
   1985, 23: 349-359

   Schwarz S, Berger P, Wick  G. Epitope-selective, monoclonal-antibody-based immunoradiometric assays of predictable 
   specificity for differential measurement of choriogonadotropin and its subunits. Clin Chem 1985, 31: 1322-1328

   Schwarz S, Tappeiner G, Hintner H. Hormone binding globulin levels in patients with hereditary angiooedema during 
   treatment with Danazol. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf) 1981, 14: 563-570

   Hinterhuber H, Platz T, Schwarz S. The plasma prolactin level under fluphenazine treatment. Wien Med Wochenschr. 
   1980;130(17): 566-70

   Schwarz S. Radioimmunoassay evaluation and quality control by use of a simple computer program for a low 
   cost desk top calculator. J Clin Chem Clin Biochem 1980, 18: 215-220

   Schwarz S. A simple computer program for Scatchard plot analysis of steroid receptors including non-specific 
   binding correction on a low cost  desk top calculator.  J Steroid Biochem 1979, 11: 1641-1646

   Schwarz S. Fluorimetric determination of urinary norepinephrine and epinephrine: assessment of the 
   aluminium oxide-trihydroxyindole method and improvement by the analysis of fluorescence spectra   
   Wien Klin Wochenschr 1977, 89: 667-674 

   Schwarz S, Gabl F,  Pastner D, Huber H,  Braunsteiner H: Immunoglobulin E in patients with chronic 
   lymphocytic leukaemia, multiple  myeloma and morbus Waldenstroem. Z Immunitatsforsch (Immunobiology) 1974, 148: 196-207

   
   
Webpage created by Siegfried Schwarz, former webmaster of this division, last update: May 31, 2017