معرفی
Sofie Zehentner is a Researcher at the Institute of Physiological Chemistry within the Faculty of Chemistry, specializing in the molecular mechanisms of taste perception and chemotherapy-induced taste disturbances. Her work bridges physiological chemistry and clinical pharmacology through innovative cellular modeling.
Her educational background includes:
- BSc
- MSc
Zehentner's research centers on bitter taste receptor physiology, particularly investigating how chemotherapeutic agents trigger bitter phantom taste (phantogeusia) in cancer patients. She pioneered the use of human gingival fibroblasts as cellular models to study interleukin-6 release correlations with taste thresholds, and explores natural compounds like homoeriodictyol for bitterness mitigation. Her work intersects immunology, oncology, and sensory neuroscience through rigorous in vitro experimentation.
Recent publications (2023-2024) reveal three dominant research trajectories: 1) Development of cytokine-based cellular models for taste threshold prediction, 2) Pharmacological countermeasures against chemotherapy-induced taste distortion, and 3) Mechanistic studies of bitter receptor agonism/antagonism. These efforts consistently employ gingival fibroblasts and SH-SY5Y neuronal cells to map taste receptor signaling pathways.
No scientific awards are documented in the provided materials.
Zehentner actively mentors through the ASER Project (evidenced by her 2025 lecture on serotonin modulation), though formal student advisement isn't specified. Her research is supported by institutional frameworks within the Institute of Physiological Chemistry, with emphasis on translational applications for cancer patient quality-of-life improvement.
She leads the ASER Project investigating pungent compound interactions with neuronal cells, and collaborates extensively with Veronika Somoza's team on taste receptor pharmacology. Current work focuses on hepatocyte growth factor pathways and interleukin-6-mediated taste signaling, with planned 2025 studies examining serotonin release mechanisms in chemosensory models.
