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Dr Marcus Ilg

Research Fellow

Medical Technology Research Centre

Faculty:
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Social Care
School:
School of Allied Health and Social Care
Location:
Chelmsford
Research Supervision:
Yes
Marcus is a Research Fellow at the Medical Technology Research Centre. His research focuses on discovering drugs using phenotypic screening assays and understanding their mechanism of action.

 

[email protected]

Background

After Marcus obtained his BSc and MSc in Biology from Ulm University, Germany, where he focused mainly on microbiology and stem cell research, he started a PhD in Medical Science at Anglia Ruskin University in 2015. During his studies in Prof Selim Cellek’s lab, he utilised a phenotypic screening approach to find novel drugs against Peyronie’s disease. This project lead to successful publication in European Urology (JIF 17.581) and a patent for a new drug combination.
As a postdoctoral fellow, Marcus’ research expanded into uncovering the mechanism of action of this novel drug combination along with the development of new phenotypic screening assays. Marcus is now working on projects involving Peyronie’s disease, burn scars, lung, and liver fibrosis. Further, he is continuing to be involved in collaborations with University College London Hospital and KU Leuven, Belgium.

Spoken Languages

English
German

Research interests

• Phenotypic drug discovery
• Fibroproliferative diseases
• Peyronie’s disease
• Burn scars
• Extracellular matrix biology
• Cell signalling in fibroblast biology

Areas of research supervision

• Phenotypic assay development
• Drug discovery using phenotypic assays
• Pathophysiology of fibroproliferative diseases

Qualifications

• PhD Medical Science, Anglia Ruskin University (2019)
• MSc Biology, Ulm University (2015)
• BSc Biology, Ulm University (2013)

Memberships, editorial boards

European Society for Sexual Medicine: member of the Basic Science Sub-Committee since 2018

European Society for Sexual Medicine: member since 2016

British Pharmacological Society: member since 2015

Research grants, consultancy, knowledge exchange

European Society for Sexual Medicine Research Grant 2019-20 (€30,000)

European Society for Sexual Medicine Research Grant 2017-18 (€30,000)

Selected recent publications

Milenkovic, U., Ilg, M.M., Cellek, S., and Albersen, M.: Pathophysiology and future therapeutic perspectives for resolving fibrosis in Peyronie’s disease. Sexual Medicine Reviews 2019

Milenkovic, U., Ilg, M.M., Cellek, S., and Albersen, M.: What role do pharmaceuticals play in the treatment of Peyronie’s disease and is there a need for new emerging drugs?, Expert Opinion on Emerging Drugs 2019. DOI: 10.1080/14728214.2019.1591370

Milenkovic, U., Ilg, M. M., Zuccato, C., Ramazani, Y., De Ridder, D., Albersen, M.: Simvastatin and the Rho-kinase inhibitor Y-27632 prevent myofibroblast transformation in Peyronie's disease-derived fibroblasts via inhibition of YAP/TAZ nuclear translocation. BJU international 2018. ISSN 1464-410X

Ilg, M.M., Mateus, M., Stebbeds, W., Milenkovic, U., Muneer, A., Christopher, N., Albersen, M., Ralph, D.J., Cellek, S.: Antifibrotic Synergy Between Phosphodiesterase Type 5 Inhibitors and Selective Oestrogen Receptor Modulators in Peyronie's Disease Models European Urology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eururo.2018.10.014

Mateus, m., Ilg, M.M., Stebbeds, W.J., Christopher, N., Muneer, A., Ralph, D.J., Cellek,S.: Understanding the role of adenosine receptors in the myofibroblast transformation in Peyronie’s disease. J Sex Med 2018;15:947–957. DOI:10.1016/j.jsxm.2018.05.003

Ilg, M.M., Muller, M., Liebau, S., Kleger, A.,: Lost but Still Missed: A New Chapter about TBX3 in Pluripotency and Fate Decision. J Cell Signal 2016 1:105. doi:10.4172/jcs.1000105

Russell, R., Ilg, M., Lin, Q., Wu, G., Lechel, A., Bergmann, W., Eiseler, T., Linta, L., Klingenstein, M.,  Adachi, K., Hohwieler, M., Sakk, O., Raab, S., Moon, A., Zenke, M., Seufferlein, T., Schöler, H.R., Illing, A., Liebau, S., Kleger, A.,: A Dynamic Role of TBX3 in the Pluripotency Circuitry. Stem Cell Reports 2015; 5(6):1155-1170. DOI:10.1016/j.stemcr.2015.11.003

Poehlein, A., Cebulla, M., Ilg, M.M., Bengelsdorf, F.R., Schiel-Bengelsdorf, B., Whited, G., Andreesen, J.R., Gottschalk, G., Daniel, R., Dürre, P.: The Complete Genome Sequence of Clostridium aceticum: a Missing Link between Rnf- and Cytochrome-Containing Autotrophic Acetogens. mBio 2015; 6(5). DOI:10.1128/mBio.01168-15

Recent presentations and conferences

Ilg, M. (2020). High-throughput phenotypic screening campaign of 1,954 FDA-approved drugs reveals 41 hits with anti-myofibroblast activity in an in vitro model of Peyronie’s disease. European Society for Sexual Medicine Annual Congress 2020 (Prague, Czech Republic).

Ilg, M. (2019). Repurposing PDE5 inhibitors, selective oestrogen receptor modulators and their combination as an anti-fibrotic treatment in models of Peyronie’s disease. Drug Repurposing: A Biochemical Society Event (Birmingham, UK).

Ilg, M. (2019). A phenotypic high-throughput screening campaign of 1,954 FDA-approved drugs reveals synergistic anti-myofibroblast activity of selective estrogen receptor modulators and phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors in models of Peyronie’s disease. Keystone Symposium on Phenotypic Drug Discovery (Breckenridge, USA).

Ilg, M. (2019). Vardenafil, tamoxifen and their combination can prevent but not reverse TGF-β1-induced myofibroblast transformation of TA-derived cells. European Society for Sexual Medicine Annual Congress 2019 (Ljubljana, Slovenia).

Ilg, M. (2018). The combination of PDE5 inhibitors and selective oestrogen receptor modulators exerts a synergistic effect in in vitro and in vivo models of Peyronie’s disease. Pharmacology 2018, Annual meeting of British Pharmacological Society (London, UK).

Ilg, M. (2018). PDE5 inhibitors and selective oestrogen receptor modulators exert anti-fibrotic synergy in in vitro and in vivo models of Peyronie’s disease. Matrix Biology Europe (Manchester, UK).

Ilg, M. (2018). Synergistic Effect of Vardenafil and Tamoxifen in a Rat Model of Peyronie’s Disease. American Urological Association's 2018 Annual Meeting (San Francisco, USA).

Ilg, M. (2018) Synergy Between Vardenafil and Tamoxifen in a Rat Model of Peyronie’s Disease. European Association of Urology Annual Congress 2018 (Copenhagen, Denmark).

Ilg, M. (2018). Vardenafil and Tamoxifen Synergise in A Rat Model of Peyronie’s Disease. World Congress on Sexual Medicine 2018 (Lisbon, Portugal).

Ilg, M. (2017). Development and validation of a phenotypic high-throughput, cell-based assay for anti-myofibroblast activity in Peyronie’s disease. European Association of Urology Annual Congress 2017 (London, UK).

Ilg, M. (2017). Development Of Secondary Assays To Validate Hits From Primary Phenotypic Screen For Anti-Myofibroblast Activity In Peyronie’s Disease. European Society for Sexual Medicine Annual Congress 2017 (Nice, France).

Ilg, M. (2017). Further Validation Of Phenotypic High-Throughput, Cell-Based Assay For Anti-Myofibroblast Activity In Peyronie’s Disease. European Society for Sexual Medicine Annual Congress 2017 (Nice, France).