Molecular Obesity Research (MORe)

Our group ‘Molecular Obesity Research’ pursues several approaches to investigate protein (e.g. serpin or protease) function in adipose tissue and obesity. We use our expertise in protein expression and purification to generate substantial amounts of these proteins and elucidate the structural characteristics and molecular mechanisms underlying their biologic activity. In parallel, we are dedicated to unravel their physiological function in health and disease using isolated cells, tissues and animal models.

Our group ‘Molecular Obesity Research’ pursues several approaches to investigate protein, especially serpins and proteases, function in adipose tissue and obesity. We use our expertise in protein expression and purification to generate substantial amounts of these proteins and elucidate the structural characteristics and molecular mechanisms underlying their biologic activity. In parallel, we are dedicated to unravel their physiological function in health and disease using isolated cells, tissues and animal models.

Serpins regulate and control essential and proteolysis-dependent processes such as coagulation. This project investigates the poorly understood and enigmatic functions of serpins and proteases in adipose tissue.

Explore Project

In this project, we investigate novel players, proteins, enzymes, serpins and proteases in adipose tissue function and dysfunction.

Explore Project

In this project, we investigate a muscle protein at work in thermogenic adipocytes.

Explore Project

Darstellung von Myoglobin-Expression in braunen Adipocyten

PD Dr. Dr. John Heiker

Group Leader "Molecular Obesity Research"

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Christian Strehlau

PhD Candidate, Heiker Lab

Helen Broghammer

PhD Candidate, Heiker Lab

Dr. Juliane Weiner

Clinician Scientist

Claudia Gebhardt

Technician, Heiker Lab

Flavia Rudolph

Master Student

Jenny Busch, M.Sc. (2025)
Inka Rapöhn, PhD cand., M.Sc., student assistant (2019-2024)
Kevin Möhlis, PhD (2021-2024)
Maren Wiermann, M.Sc., student assistant (2022-2024)
Rachel Zimmer, M.Sc., student assistant (2023-2024)
Lukas Schneider, student assistant (2023-2024)
Anna Moormann, M.Sc., student assistant (2022-2023)
Isabel Sandner, M.Sc. (2023)
Michael Schneekönig, M.Sc. (2023)
Andrine Frank, student assistant (2022-2023)
Lisa Christen, PhD (2020-2023)
Sebastian Dommel, PostDoc (2022-2023)
Aleix Ribas-Latre, PostDoc (2020-2023)
Hanna Scheffold, B.Sc. (2022)
Catherine Tindall, PhD (2017-2021)
Sophie Rehme, M.Sc. (2021)
Helen Broghammer, B.Sc. (2021)
Sandra Kuhn, M.Sc. (2021)
Nicolas Mytzka, M.Sc. (2020)
Estelle Erkner, M.Sc. (2019)
Benjamin Fritz, M.Sc. (2019)
Lisa Volke, M.Sc. (2019)

Ribas-Latre A, Hoffmann A, Gebhardt C, Weiner J, Arndt L, Raulien N, Gericke M, Gosh A, Krause K, Klöting N, Pfluger PT, Sheikh BN, Ebert T, Tönjes A, Stumvoll M, Wolfrum C, Blüher M, Wagner U, Vendrell J, Fernández-Veledo S, Heiker JT

The serine protease KLK7 promotes immune cell infiltration in visceral adipose tissue in obesity.

Tindall CA, Möhlis K, Rapöhn I, Dommel S, Riedl V, Schneekönig M, Höfling C, Roßner S, Stichel J, Beck-Sickinger AG, Weiner J, Heiker JT

LRP1 is the cell‐surface endocytosis receptor for vaspin in adipocytes

Rapöhn I, Elias I, Weiner J, Pujol A, Kehr S, Chadt A, Al-Hasani H, Burkhard R, Klöting N, Stumvoll M, Bosch F, Kovacs P, Heiker JT, Breitfeld J

Overexpressing High Levels of Human Vaspin Limits High Fat Diet-Induced Obesity and Enhances Energy Expenditure in a Transgenic Mouse

Christen L, Broghammer H, Rapöhn I, Möhlis K, Strehlau C, Ribas-Latre A, Gebhardt C, Roth L, Krause K, Landgraf K, Körner A, Rohde-Zimmermann K, Hoffmann A, Klöting N, Ghosh A, Sun W, Dong H, Wolfrum C, Rassaf T, Hendgen-Cotta U, Stumvoll M, Blüher M, Heiker JT, Weiner J

Myoglobin-Mediated Lipid Shuttling Increases Adrenergic Activation of Brown and White Adipocyte Metabolism and is as a Marker of Thermogenic Adipocytes in Humans

Zieger K, Weiner J, Kunath A, Gericke M, Krause K, Kern M, Stumvoll M, Klöting N, Blüher M, Heiker JT

Ablation of Kallikrein 7 (KLK7) in Adipose Tissue Ameliorates Metabolic Consequences of High-Fat Diet-Induced Obesity by Counteracting Adipose Tissue Inflammation in vivo.

Weiner J, Rohde K, Krause K, Zieger K, Klöting N, Kralisch S, Kovacs P, Stumvoll M, Blüher M, Böttcher, Y, Heiker JT

Brown Adipose Tissue (BAT) Specific Vaspin Expression is Increased after Obesogenic Diets and Cold Exposure and Linked to Acute Changes in DNA-Methylation.

Heiker JT, Klöting N, Kovacs P, Küttner EB, Sträter N, Schultz S, Kern M, Stumvoll M, Blüher M, Beck-Sickinger AG

Vaspin Inhibits Kallikrein 7 by Serpin Mechanism