Helmholtz Munich AI Maps Obesity Damage

Researchers at Helmholtz Zentrum München, LMU Munich, and collaborating institutions have developed MouseMapper, an AI framework that maps disease-related changes throughout the entire mouse body at cellular resolution. Led by Prof. Ali Ertürk, the team used MouseMapper to uncover widespread inflammation and previously unrecognized damage to facial sensory nerves caused by obesity. They also identified corresponding molecular signatures in human tissue, suggesting conservation across species. This platform, detailed in Nature (journal), allows for comprehensive multi-system analysis, moving beyond organ-specific studies. Dr. Doris Kaltenecker and Ying Chen were key contributors. The research was supported by various entities including the Australia — Australian Research Council, German Research Foundation, Nigeria — Federal Ministry of Interior (Nigeria), Novo Nordisk, and China — China Scholarship Council. MouseMapper is envisioned to create 'digital twins' for in silico experimentation, accelerating disease understanding and treatment discovery.