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Division - Diabetes Complications

Herzig Lab

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Herzig Lab

Back to IDC

About our research

Our metabolism is a complex system which is carefully regulated in order to keep our body's energy supply and demand in balance. In diabetes, the balance of glucose and lipids is lost, which can ultimately lead to long-term diabetic complications, including micro- and macro-vascular damage.

Today’s challenges in diabetes research are focused on identifying novel molecular metabolic targets which can prevent and also treat the long-term consequences of the disease.

When we lose the capability of properly regulating our metabolism, we often refer to this disease state as “the metabolic syndrome”. Insulin resistance is not only a core component of the metabolic syndrome and an early feature of pre-diabetic conditions, but also triggers the development and progression of the disease to end-stage type 2 diabetes. The diabetic complications division explores transcriptional, epigenetic and signaling components controlling systemic and tissue-specific insulin sensitivity, and tests their potential to serve as novel therapeutic platforms in diabetes prevention approaches.

Recent experimental and clinical studies show that whilst high blood sugar levels are fundamental to diabetes, the abnormal production or defective clearance of reactive metabolite species critically contribute to long-term complications in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. To support in defining and functionally characterizing pathways in abnormal diabetic metabolite generation and their impact on the development of diabetic long-term complications, the IDC has established a joint Translational Diabetes Program with the University Hospital Heidelberg, and the Collaborative Research Center 1118.

We anticipate that reactive metabolites will provide promising new targets in type 1 and type 2 diabetes therapies.

Our Team

Stephan Herzig Porträt freigestellt
Prof. Dr. Stephan Herzig

Research Director Helmholtz Munich, Head of Diabetes Department and Head of Research Unit "Diabetes and Complications"

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Portrait von Bilgen Ekim
Dr. Bilgen Ekim

Head of Joint IDC-Heidelberg Translational Diabetes Program

Group photo of Organizers for Diabetes Conference - 23
Dr. Ana Alfaro

Coordinator Drug Develompent & Industrial Collaborations

Porträt Gil Lozano Manuel
Dr. Manuel Gil Lozano

Postdoc

Porträt Hass Daniela
Daniela Haß

Senior Technician

Porträt Ji Honglei
Dr. Honglei Ji

Postdoc

Dr. Adriano Maida

Scientific Laboratory Director

Porträt Magalhaes Thaina
Dr. Thainá Magalhães

Postdoc

Porträt Mhamane Amit
Dr. Amit Mhamane

Postdoc

Porträt Simoes Fernandez Estefania
Dr. Estefania Simoes Fernandez

Postdoc

Wolff Gretchen Porträt IDC
Dr. Gretchen Wolff

Postdoc

Portrait Adrian Fischer
Dr. Adrian Fischer

Head of Junior Group Fibrosis

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Our Most Recent Publications

Mol. Metab. 104:102318 (2026)

Cingir Koker, S. ; Mhamane, A. ; Geppert, J. ; Shakir, G. ; Guillamat-Prats, R. ; Chen, B. ; Katra, P. ; Geiger, M. ; Tsokanos, F.-F. ; Wolff, G. ; Szendrödi, J. ; Rohm, M. ; Daniel, C. ; Maegdefessel, L. ; Steffens, S. ; Herzig, S.

Nuclear receptor co-factor TBL1X/TBL1XR1 T cell activity protects against atherosclerosis.
Nat. Metab. 8, 237-259 (2026)

Morigny, P. ; Vondrackova, M. ; Ji, H. ; Brejchova, K. ; Krakovkova, M. ; Makris, K. ; Trubacova, R. ; Samanci, T.F. ; Kaltenecker, D. ; Ng, S.-P. ; Karthikaisamy, V. ; Chrysostomou, S.E. ; Bidovec, A. ; Ponce-de-Leon, M. ; Krauss, T. ; Seeliger, C. ; Prokopchuk, O. ; Martignoni, M.E. ; Claussnitzer, M. ; Hauner, H. ; Schweiger, M. ; Bindels, L.B. ; Berriel Diaz, M. ; Herzig, S. ; Lutter, D. ; Kuda, O. ; Rohm, M.

Multi-omics profiling of cachexia-targeted tissues reveals a spatio-temporally coordinated response to cancer.
Pain, DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003898 (2026)

Eldesouky, O. ; Seebauer, L. ; Rukwied, R. ; Carr, R. ; Roshan, M. ; Gottlieb, H. ; Tsilingiris, D. ; Kopf, S. ; Herzig, S. ; Fleming, T. ; Kessler, J. ; Szendroedi, J. ; Schmelz, M. ; Kender, Z.

Mismatch between intact electrical excitability and lost heat pain in diabetic neuropathy.

Contact Us

Portrait Miriam Guhl
Miriam Guhl

Coordination and Administration

Building 3620 / Room 309d