Gutenberg Open Science

The Open Science Repository of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz.

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Recent Submissions

ZeitschriftenaufsatzAccess status: Open Access ,
The inflammatory microenvironment in patients with advanced and relapsing hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma
(2026)
Staufenberg, Anna-Rebekka
;
Gaida, Matthias M.
;
Graf, Claudine
;
Kaufmann, Justus
;
Matthias, Christoph
Hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HPSCC) is frequently diagnosed at an advanced stage and is associated with limited therapeutic options and poor prognosis. Increasing evidence highlights the relevance of the tumour microenvironment (TME), particularly inflammatory cell populations, for tumour progression and treatment response. Tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs), especially CD68-positive subsets, have emerged as potential diagnostic and prognostic markers. Factor X (FX), a key component of the coagulation cascade with additional immunomodulatory functions, may contribute to macrophage recruitment and influence TME composition. This study aimed to characterise the inflammatory landscape of advanced HPSCC with a focus on FX_CD68-positive TAMs and to explore associations with clinical outcome. Histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses were performed on tumour samples from 31 patients with advanced HPSCC. Acute inflammation was graded based on neutrophil infiltration, while chronic inflammation was assessed through lymphoid aggregates and overall inflammatory cell density. FX_CD68-positive macrophages were quantified and correlated with clinical data including stage, treatment modality, and relapse. All tumours demonstrated pronounced acute and chronic inflammation. Most patients (n = 29) presented with UICC stage II–IV disease. Eleven patients (35%) developed a relapse, typically showing stronger chronic inflammation in the primary tumour. Recurrent tumours displayed heterogeneous densities of FX_CD68-positive TAMs, whereas specimens obtained after radio(chemo)therapy exhibited reduced inflammatory infiltration. These findings indicate that HPSCC is a highly immunogenic tumour entity. Components of the TME, particularly FX_CD68-positive TAMs, may represent promising biomarkers for risk stratification and could support the development of personalised therapeutic strategies.
ZeitschriftenaufsatzAccess status: Open Access ,
Texture-dependent all-optical switching in ferromagnetic films via stochastic nucleation of nanoscale domains
(2026)
Khusyainov, Dinar
;
Liefferink, Rein
;
Na, MengXing
;
Kammerbauer, Fabian
;
Frömter, Robert
Controlling magnetic textures at ever smaller length scales and timescales is of fundamental and technological interest. External stimuli capable of acting at the nanoscale pose a challenge, motivating alternative approaches that exploit the intrinsic inhomogeneity of magnetic textures. Here we use a Pt/Co/Pt ferromagnetic thin film to investigate magnetization reversal with circularly polarized picosecond laser pulses. Magnetic force microscopy reveals stochastic nucleation of complex nanotextured domains from an initial monodomain state. Subsequent illumination of these domains with laser pulses induces deterministic and homogeneous magnetization switching. We find that the domain growth depends on the complexity of the texture, revealing a helicity- and texture-dependent mechanism that contrasts with temperature-gradient-driven domain expansion. We complement our observations with a stochastic model in which domain nucleation is governed by light helicity and the local magnetic environment. These results provide an insight into the mechanism of multipulse helicity-dependent all-optical switching.
ZeitschriftenaufsatzAccess status: Open Access ,
Time-resolved imaging of antiferromagnetic skyrmion interactions
(2026)
Bhukta, Mona
;
Dohi, Takaaki
;
Leutner, Kilian
;
Syskaki, Maria-Andromachi
;
Kammerbauer, Fabian
Quantifying particle interactions is central to understanding and controlling collective dynamics in particle-based devices such as those comprising skyrmion ensembles. Here we directly visualize, in real time, the nanosecond current-driven dynamics of an antiferromagnetic skyrmion lattice. By tuning the spin–orbit torque relative to local pinning, we identify two regimes: an incoherent flow, where mobile skyrmions are driven toward pinned neighbours undergoing compression followed by a recoil, and a coherent flow regime, where the lattice translates uniformly. We use an inverse analysis method based on the Thiele equation to extract an exponentially decaying antiferromagnetic skyrmion interaction potential, which is in agreement with simulation results. At higher current densities, the lattice exhibits coherent motion free from detectable Hall and inertial effects or dynamical deformation, and this enables robust ultrafast operation. These findings establish a quantitative framework for antiferromagnetic skyrmion interactions and demonstrate deterministic control of their collective dynamics, even in the incoherent flow regime, thereby providing potential applications for multiskyrmion spintronic devices.