Kristallstruktur von Vaspin

MORe - Molecular Obesity Research / Heiker-Lab

Restoring adipocyte metabolic fitness through protein biology.

Our group investigates the molecular mechanisms that govern adipocyte biology in health and obesity. We study how proteins regulate thermogenesis, lipid metabolism, inflammation and intercellular communication to maintain metabolic fitness. Combining structural biology, protein biochemistry, functional genomics and translational studies in human and mouse models, we identify new therapeutic targets that enhance adipose tissue function and increase energy expenditure.

Restoring adipocyte metabolic fitness through protein biology.

Our group investigates the molecular mechanisms that govern adipocyte biology in health and obesity. We study how proteins regulate thermogenesis, lipid metabolism, inflammation and intercellular communication to maintain metabolic fitness. Combining structural biology, protein biochemistry, functional genomics and translational studies in human and mouse models, we identify new therapeutic targets that enhance adipose tissue function and increase energy expenditure.

Research Pillars

Lab Members

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MA-Foto John Heiker_freigestellt
PD Dr. Dr. John Heiker

Group Leader of Molecular Obesity Research, HI-MAG

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Helen Broghammer

Doctoral Researcher, Heiker Lab

MA-Foto Claudia Gebhardt - freigestellt
Claudia Gebhardt

Technician, Heiker Lab

MA-Foto Bárbara Dumrauf - freigestellt
Bárbara Dumrauf

Guest Researcher, Heiker Lab

MA-Profilfoto Pauline Brinckmann - freigestellt
Pauline Brinckmann

Master Student, Heiker Lab

MA-Profilfoto Hannah Feige - freigestellt
Hannah Feige

Bachelor Student, Heiker Lab

Alumni of the Heiker Lab

Katharina Höhn, B.Sc. (2026)Flavia Rudolph, M.Sc. (2026)
Inka Rapöhn, PhD, M.Sc., student assistant (2019-2026)Jenny Busch, M.Sc. (2025)
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)
Lotta Koscheck, B.Sc. (2024)Mathilda Krause, school intern (2024)
Anika Bellmann, school intern (2024)Isabel Sandner, M.Sc. (2023)
Anna Moormann, M.Sc., student assistant (2022-2023)Marie Saurbrey, B.Sc. (2023)
Michael Schneekönig, M.Sc. (2023)Andrine Frank, student assistant (2022-2023)
Lisa Christen, PhD (2020-2023)Sebastian Dommel, M.Sc., PostDoc (2017, 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)
Christian Strehlau, M.Sc. (2020)Nicolas Mytzka, M.Sc. (2020)
Konstamze Zieger, PhD (2013-2019)Clemens Hörhold, school intern “Jugend forscht” (2019)
Benjamin Fritz, M.Sc. (2019)Estelle Erkner, M.Sc. (2019)
Lisa Volke, M.Sc. (2019)Nele Ferekiedis, M.Sc. (2018/19)
David Ulbricht, PhD (2013-2018)Anna Kolesnikow, student assistant (2017-2018)
Isabell Kaczmarek, M.Sc. (2018)Richard Konecny, school intern (2018)
Veronika Riedl, M.Sc. (2018)Richard Friedrich, B.Sc., student assistant (2017)
Kathrin Oertwig, M.Sc. (2016)Max Schwarz, M.Sc. (2015)
Martin Kohn, M.Sc. (2016)Jan Daberger, B.Sc. (2015)
Melanie Kuhrig, M.Sc. (2014)Maximilian Preuß , B.Sc. (2014)
Kristin Arnsburg, M.Sc. (2013) 
2026 Advance Science, e76191

Strehlau C, Broghammer H, Gebhardt C, Schubert K, Hagemann T, Hoffmann A, Midilli S, Zimmer R, Karagiannakou V, Georgiadi A, Ost M, Krüger M, Roth L, Krause K, Klöting N, Keller M, Wabitsch M, Nuwayhid R, Stimson RH, Stumvoll M, Blüher M, Weiner J, Heiker JT

Adipocyte Myoglobin Is a Determinant of Energy Expenditure and a Potential Target to Limit Obesity
2025 Nature Communications, 16:11075.

Rapöhn I, Broghammer H, Hoffmann A, Möhlis K, Moormann A, Kaczmarek I, Thor D, Großkopf H, Krieg L, Karkossa I, Schubert K, von Bergen M, Krause K, Breitfeld J, Kovacs P, Klöting N, Nuwayhid R, Langer S, Ghosh A, Wolfrum C, Stumvoll M, Blüher M, Heiker JT, Weiner J

Inhibition of adipocyte lipolysis by vaspin impairs thermoregulation in vivo
2025 Metabolism, 168:156239

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.
2023 FEBS Journal, 291(10):2134-2154.

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
2022 Clinical and Translational Medicine, 12:e1108

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
2013 Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, 70(14): 2569–2583

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

Contact Heiker-Lab:

MA-Foto John Heiker_freigestellt
PD Dr. Dr. John Heiker

Group Leader of Molecular Obesity Research, HI-MAG

Leipzig

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MA-Foto Claudia Gebhardt - freigestellt
Claudia Gebhardt

Technician, Heiker Lab

Leipzig