High honors for Prof. Dr. Ernst Holler

Professor Dr. Ernst Holler, Senior Professor at the University of Regensburg, has been awarded the Federal Cross of Merit on Ribbon and the Ulrich W. Schaefer Prize of the German Association for Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation and Cell Therapy (DAG-HSZT) for his services to the care of stem cell transplant patients and research into stem cell transplantation.

Donor-versus-recipient diseases (GvHD) caused by transplanted donor immune cells are still considered the main complication of allogeneic stem cell transplantation and are associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. rofessor Dr. Ernst Holler, long-time senior physician and “father” of the stem cell transplantation program in the Clinic and Polyclinic for Internal Medicine III at the University Hospital Regensburg (UKR), has dedicated his professional life to these complications after allogeneic stem cell transplantation and the improvement of clinical treatment strategies and care structures for patients. or his life's work, Professor Holler was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, which was presented to him by the Bavarian Minister of Finance and Home Affairs, Albert Füracker. Throughout his entire professional career, Professor Holler took remarkable care of patients with bone marrow diseases. ith great perseverance, empathy and a high level of medical and scientific expertise, he tried to alleviate the suffering of his patients. his commitment continues to this day as a retired senior professor,” said Minister of State Füracker, paying tribute to the doctor's life's work.
Professor Holler was also recently awarded the Ulrich W. Schaefer Prize by the German Association for Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation and Cell Therapy. The chances of recovery that stem cell transplantation has brought us, but also the challenges associated with it, have greatly influenced my professional work. It has always been close to my heart to be able to help as many cancer patients as possible. This is where my passion for research lies. I am delighted about the awards and will continue to do everything I can to pass on my knowledge and expertise to the next generation of scientists, even in my partial retirement,” summarizes Professor Holler. rofessor Dr. Wolfgang Herr, Director of the Clinic and Polyclinic for Internal Medicine III at the UKR, adds: “Professor Holler's work with patients and in research deserves great recognition. ith his empathy and professional expertise, he is a role model for us all. I am therefore delighted that he has received these prestigious awards and that he will continue to be available to the Clinic and Polyclinic for Internal Medicine III as a senior professor after his retirement.

Establishment and further development of stem cell transplantation in Eastern Bavaria

Since moving from Munich to Regensburg in 1998, Professor Holler and his team at the UKR have built up an allogeneic stem cell transplant program for Eastern Bavaria. It was always particularly important to him to make the difficult path of transplant preparation easier for patients and to minimize the risks of rejection reactions. This has had a significant impact on his clinical and scientific work as well as his commitment as a board member of Leukämiehilfe Ostbayern e.V. Together with colleagues, Professor Holler initiated the establishment of “bridge care” at the UKR, thanks to which patients could be discharged from the isolation ward at the UKR to their home environment more quickly after a stem cell transplant. hese structures are groundbreaking in Germany and set an example for many other transplant centers. At the same time, the improved infrastructure has increased transplant capacity, so that between 75 and 80 patients can currently receive an allogeneic stem cell transplant at the UKR every year.
His work has not only left its mark at the UKR. Professor Holler has also been active abroad and, together with the José Carreras Leukemia Foundation, supported the establishment of a stem cell transplant program in Romania, for example.
His scientific work is still focused on the further development of treatment options for patients with leukemia and other malignant diseases of the hematopoietic system. He is an outstanding motivator of young doctors for science and translational research for the benefit of patients and is thus able to pass on his experience.