IDR

The primary objective of the Institute of Diabetes and Regeneration Research (IDR) at the Helmholtz Diabetes Center Munich is to develop regenerative therapeutic approaches to treat diabetes mellitus. Therefore, the aim is to improve current strategies for functional β-cell production in vitro to provide alternative sources of β-cells for cell replacement therapy in diabetes. Additionally, we analyze and characterize the embryonic and adult pancreatic progenitor cells to understand β-cell development, homeostasis, and function for in vivo regeneration. Triggering endogenous β-cell regeneration is a promising approach to restore beta cell mass and normoglycemia in diabetic patients.

IDR retreat 17.18.10.22_all institute photo

We study the development and regeneration of the pancreas, and in particular of the insulin-producing beta cells and how β-cells form during development and how they lose their identity and function during diabetes progression. The main goal is to develop novel regenerative therapeutic approaches for the treatment of diabetes mellitus: regeneration of β-cells directly in the patient (β-cell regeneration therapy) or replacement of lost β-cells with stem cell-generated β-cells (β-cell replacement therapy).

Confocal picture of mouse embryonic pancreatic epithelium

We study the programs underlying pancreatic formation and function to design novel strategies for diabetes therapy and tissue engineering. Specifically, we explore the cellular and molecular processes that coordinate endocrine cell morphogenesis, differentiation, and function.

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Using CRISPR/Cas 9 technology Dr. Burtscher and his team is generating numerous fluorescent iPSC reporter lines which are being used to investigate how alpha-, beta- or other endocrine cells are formed, how these lineage decisions are regulated, and how mature cell types can be differentiated in a culture dish.

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Beta Cells Human Stern Cell-Derived Islet-Like Cluster, IDR

Our group aims to advance the generation of human stem cell-derived islet-like clusters (SC-ILCs). Human pancreas development is not well understood and thus current protocols result in inefficient and impure SC-ILCs with limited functionality. Therefore, the Beta Cell Replacement group focusses on deciphering essential processes during human pancreas development and establishes new approaches to generate improved SC-ILCs.

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The “Intestinal stem cell” group aims to decipher the molecular mechanisms driving intestinal stem cell lineage decisions in order to identify new druggable targets for the treatment of diet-induced intestinal dysfunction. In particular, we would like to understand how stem cell niche composition and mechanics regulate cellular differentiation and if niche composition and mechanics are altered in obesity and diabetes and contribute to diet-induced intestinal dysfunction.

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We study the molecular basis of pancreatic lineage specification as well as islet cell development, maturation, heterogeneity, function, and regeneration across species. We investigate epigenetic, transcriptional, and proteomic features in mouse, pig, and human islets in order to uncover and functionally interrogate the driving factors and molecular programs behind the changes in islet cell phenotypes.

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Model of insulin inhibitory receptor 'inceptor' (in black) desensetizing the insulin recptor (in color) on a pancreatic beta cell. Insulin in blue.

Our discovery of inceptor, a novel and druggable insulin inhibitory receptor, is a significant milestone for diabetes research as the scientific community celebrates 100 years of insulin and 50 years of insulin receptor discovery. The blocking of inceptor function leads to an increased sensitisation of the insulin signaling pathway in pancreatic beta cells. This might allow protection and regeneration of beta cells for diabetes remission.

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brain slice-screenshot-3_Shiqi Zhang for IDR-H website

Our mission is to investigate the molecular mechanisms causing gender and sex specific differences in diabetic dyslipidemia and to develop novel personalised treatment strategies.

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Stream plot IDR single cell analysis group Michael Sterr

Single-cell based methods are key technologies to uncover the cellular complexity of biological systems, answering important and longstanding biological questions. Single-cell genomics allows to better characterize different cell types and cellular states, identify rare cell populations, and reconstruct developmental trajectories.

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We are using various mouse models to address questions in the field of endoderm and pancreas development, endocrine lineage formation in gut and pancreas as well as beta-cell maturation and regeneration

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The IDR Management team covers the administrative and organisational aspects of all scientific projects at IDR. We accompany projects from the planning phase, during performance until reporting and are the contact partners to grantors and authorities.
We ensure the feasibility and scientific quality of the projects, availability of staff, funding and legal approval in close collaboration with the HMGU administrative departments. These include; Finance, Human Resources, Legal & Compliance, Communications & Strategic Relations, Innovation and Strategy/ Programs/ Resources, and the Core Facilities for Antibody and Laboratory Animal Sciences.

Prof. Dr. Heiko Lickert

Director, Institute of Diabetes and Regeneration Research, IDR

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Prof. Dr. med. Susanna Hofmann

Independent Group Leader "Women and Diabetes" (IDR-H)

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Dr. Ana Gabriela Acosta Montalvo

Postdoc Insulin Signalling in Beta Cells

Susanne Badeke

TA Islet Biology

Dr. Mostafa Bakhti

Group Leader Beta Cell Development and Regeneration

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Emily Baumgart

Lab Manager and TA Stem Cell Research

Sreya Bhattacharya

PhD Student Insulin Signalling in Beta Cells

Dr. Anika Böttcher

Group Leader Intestinal Stem Cell Research

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Dr. Ralph Böttcher

Team Leader Insulin Signalling in Beta Cells

Dr. Ingo Burtscher

Deputy Director and Group Leader Stem Cell Research

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Dr. Mara Catani

Scientific Project and Grant Manager

Dr. Prisca Chapouton

Senior Scientist Insulin Signalling in Beta Cells

Dr. Jamie Chu

Postdoc - Humboldt Fellow

Sebastian Cucuruz

Oliver Czarnecki

PhD student - Beta cell development and regeneration

Dr. Alessandro Dema

Senior Postdoc Insulin Signalling in Beta Cells, IDR

Kerstin Diemer

Lab Manager IDR

Sophia Dinges

PhD Student

Carola Eggert

TA Insulin Signalling in Beta Cells

Falk Farkas

PhD Student - Intestinal Stem Cell Research

Jin Feng

PhD Student Insulin Signalling in Beta Cells

Prof. Dr. Thomas Floss

Sonja Frevel

Personal Assistant IDR-H, budget and project coordinator

Gabriele Glaser

Lab Assistant

Ekin Gökce Cicek

Doctoral Researcher

Tobias Greisle

PhD student - Intestinal Stem Cell Research

Madeline Haupt

TA - Beta Cell Replacement

Jessica Jaki

TA - Beta cell development and regeneration

Sini Susan Joseph

Postdoc

Dr. Christos Karampelias

Marie Curie Fellow - Team Leader Islet Biology

Sophie Kipper

PhD Student Stem Cell Research

Dr. Kei Kozawa

Postdoc Stem Cell Research

Ines Kunze

TA Single Cell Genomics and Intestinal Stem Cells Research

Portrait picture Väino Lithovius 18.11.24

Dr. Väinö Lithovius, MD

Team Leader Beta Cell Replacement

Mireia Molina van den Bosch

PhD Student Islet Biology

Hélène Reich

PhD Student Single Cell Genomics

Osvaldo Rodriguez Pereira

PhD Student Stem Cell Research

Nicole Katarina Rogers

PhD student - Beta cell replacement

Lama Saber

PhD Student - Beta cell development and regeneration

Dr. Silvia Schirge

Transgenic Unit Team Leader

Leopold Schomann

PhD Student Insulin Signalling in Beta Cells

Dr. Michael Sterr

Single Cell Genomics Team Leader

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Yaqi Sun

PhD Student

Donna Thomson

Personal Assistant IDR-L / Office and Administrative Project Manager

Dr. Marc Walter

Scientific Manager and Coordinator IDR-H

Thomas Worring

Dr. Kaiyuan Yang

Team Leader Islet Biology

Dr. Robby Zachariah Tom

Post Doc

Kathrin Zbinden

PhD student - Beta Cell Replacement

Yao Zhang

PhD Student - Woman and Diabetes

Shiqi Zhang

PhD Student

Prof. Heiko Lickert has been awarded an ERC Proof of Concept (PoC) Grant from the European Research Council (ERC). The funding is intended to advance a novel regenerative therapeutic approach for type 2 diabetes from basic research into clinical…

Helmholtz Munich Expert Hour at German Bundestag

How can scientific breakthroughs reach the people more quickly? This question was the focus of the Helmholtz Munich Expert Hour on March 25 in the German Bundestag. Under the title “From Research to Patients – Translation and AI in Medicine”,…

Center Template, Icon, Featured Publication, Diabetes

Pancreas development in pigs resembles humans much more closely than does the established mouse model. An international team headed by Helmholtz Munich and the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD) has now produced a comprehensive evolutionary…

Islets of langerhans (left side) in pancreatic tissue, magnification 400x.

Helmholtz Munich has been awarded a prestigious grant from Breakthrough T1D, a leading global type 1 diabetes (T1D) research and advocacy organization, to enhance the effectiveness of stem cell-derived islet transplantation for T1D. By integrating…

Congratulations to Nicole Rogers, Mireia Molina van den Bosch and Falk Farkas for winning the DZD Outstanding Young Investigator Award 2024

A highly magnified view of a human pancreas, focusing on the pancreatic islets. The islets are depicted with their clusters of endocrine cells, including alpha and beta cells.

Helmholtz Munich is partnering with Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF) in Barcelona, Spain, on a research project aimed at advancing treatments for type 1 diabetes (T1D). Sponsored by the la Caixa Foundation with nearly one million Euros in funding, the…

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Schrenk, M. ; Nowak, E. ; Vogel, F. ; Krüger, L. ; Stüfchen, I. ; Oettle, M. ; Apaydin, T. ; Bobrowicz, M. ; Bidlingmaier, M. ; García-Angarita, N. ; Hofmann, S.M. ; Dinges, S.M.-T. ; Reisch, N. ; Siebenbürger, G. ; Halle, M. ; Reincke, M. ; Schoser, B.

Myopathy in endogenous Cushing’s Syndrome: Type II muscle fiber atrophy and its association with age and circulating IGF-1.

Chen, B. ; Prabhu, A. ; Guo, L. ; Kaltenbach, A. ; Wang, Y. ; Shakir, G. ; Natarelli, L. ; Megens, R.T.A. ; Jansen, Y. ; Ramanathan, S. ; Geiger, M. ; Faußner, A. ; Hristov, M. ; Richter, D. ; Di, X. ; Stelt, M.v.d. ; Triantafyllidou, V. ; Li, Z. ; Sachs, N. ; Paloschi, V. ; Mäegdefessel, L. ; Hofmann, S.M. ; Schifferer, M. ; Simons, M. ; Weber, C. ; Santovito, D. ; Herzig, S. ; Guillamat‐Prats, R. ; Steffens, S.

Endothelial cannabinoid CB1 receptor deficiency reduces shear stress-induced arterial inflammation and lipid uptake.

Dinges, S.M.-T. ; Schwedhelm, E. ; Baldassarri, F. ; Haller, B. ; Gevaert, A.B. ; Böger, R. ; Winzer, E.B. ; Edelmann, F. ; Wisløff, U. ; Adams, V. ; Pieske, B. ; Van Craenenbroeck, E.M. ; Halle, M. ; Hofmann, S.M. ; Mueller-Stegner, S.

Circulating nitric oxide pathway metabolites in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: A sex-stratified cross-sectional analysis.

Molina van Den Bosch, M. ; Greisle, T. ; Karampelias, C. ; Lickert, H.

From architecture to function: mechanisms shaping pancreatic islet morphogenesis.

Walth-Hummel, A.A. ; Jouffe, C. ; Weber, P. ; Motzler, K. ; Geppert, J. ; Sterr, M. ; Gan, W. ; Szczerbinska, I. ; König, A.-C. ; Hauck, S.M. ; Terron Exposito, R. ; Hass, D, ; Wang, C. ; Dyar, K.A. ; Lyon, J.G. ; Lickert, H. ; Ämmälä, C. ; Herzig, S. ; Ashcroft, F.M. ; Bakhti, M. ; MacDonald, P.E. ; Rohm, M.

TBL1X/TBL1XR1 govern β-cell identity through a PAX6-containing gene regulatory network.

Zitzmann, F.D. ; Remmert, C. ; Rogers, N.K. ; Schmidt, S. ; Lickert, H. ; Jahnke, H.G. ; Meier, M.

Real-time, label-free impedimetric monitoring of insulin secretion from three-dimensional stem cell–derived islets.

Sun, Z. ; Jing, C. ; Tetti, M. ; Gong, S. ; Wei, J. ; Pang, Y. ; Reincke, M. ; Williams, T.A.

Integrated transcriptomics reveals evolutionary trajectories and cell density-dependent mechanisms in aldosterone-Producing adenomas.

Coolens, K. ; Van der Vliet, M. ; Van Campenhout, J. ; Pozo, N.D. ; Torres-Cano, A. ; Olson, C. ; Xu, J. ; Lickert, H. ; Rovira, M. ; Houbracken, I. ; Baldan, J. ; Real, F.X. ; Spagnoli, F.M. ; Rooman, I.

ΔNP63 defines an exocrine-committed subset of murine pancreatic progenitor cells.

Karampelias, C. ; Yang, K. ; Farkas, F. ; Sterr, M. ; Molina van Den Bosch, M. ; Renner, S. ; Fuß, J. ; von Toerne, C. ; Franzenburg, S. ; Kin, T. ; Wolf, E. ; Kemter, E. ; Lickert, H.

Benchmarking porcine pancreatic ductal organoids for drug screening applications.

Greisle, T. ; Kunze, I. ; Wang, X. ; Malinowski, A.R. ; Böttcher, A. ; Lickert, H. ; Burtscher, I.

Generation of a Flattop-T2A-H2B-Venus x C-peptide-mCherry double reporter human iPSC line to monitor WNT/Planar cell polarity pathway activity.

Yang, K. ; Spitzer, H. ; Sterr, M. ; Hrovatin, K. ; de la O, S. ; Zhang, X. ; Setyono, E.S.A. ; Ud-Dean, M. ; Walzthoeni, T. ; Flisikowski, K. ; Flisikowska, T. ; Schnieke, A. ; Scheibner, K. ; Wells, J.M. ; Sneddon, J.B. ; Kessler, B. ; Wolf, E. ; Kemter, E. ; Theis, F.J. ; Lickert, H.

A multimodal cross-species comparison of pancreas development.

Singh, I. ; Onogi, Y. ; Cardoso Micu Menezes, F.M. ; Khasanova, D. ; Kang, L. ; Wang, C. ; Ruiz-Trave, J. ; Sharma, S. ; Khalil, A. ; Reichenbach, V.K. ; Shi, Y. ; Flatley, A. ; Yan, X. ; Israel, A. ; Dragano, N.R.V. ; Aguilar-Pimentel, J.A. ; Hoffmann, A. ; Ghosh, A. ; Noé, F. ; Wolfrum, C. ; Cucuruz, S. ; König, A.-C. ; Burtscher, I. ; Hauck, S.M. ; Lickert, H. ; Hofmann, S.M. ; Feederle, R. ; Schriever, S.C. ; Hernandez-Bautista, R. ; Sancar, G. ; Cebrian Serrano, A. ; Tetko, I.V. ; Fuchs, H. ; Gailus-Durner, V. ; Blüher, M. ; Hrabě de Angelis, M. ; Ussar, S.

NRAC controls CD36-mediated fatty acid uptake in adipocytes and lipid clearance in vivo.

Katahira, I. ; Liebrand, N. ; Gorzkiewicz, M. ; Klahm, N.P. ; Abromavičiūtė, D. ; Werner, J. ; Krings, K.S. ; Orywol, S. ; Lautwein, T. ; Köhrer, K. ; Herebian, D. ; Mayatepek, E. ; Anstötz, M. ; Bergmann, A.K. ; Kondadi, A.K. ; Xu, H.C. ; Pandyra, A.A. ; Kobayashi, T. ; Brenner, D. ; Floß, T. ; Kalinke, U. ; Reichert, A.S. ; Lang, P.A.

Controlling mitochondrial membrane architecture via MIC60 determines viral replication to promote anti-viral immunity.

Xu, P.

mTORC1 is the central regulator in pancreatic β-cells.

Hofmann, S.M.

Geschlechtersensible Aspekte von Diabetes mellitus Typ 2.Präzisionsmedizin der Zukunft in der Diabetologie.

Setyono, E.S.A. ; Rogers, N.K. ; Hofmann, A. ; Lickert, H. ; Burtscher, I.

Generation of ARX-T2A-H2B-CFP x C-PEP-mCherry-hiPSC double reporter line for monitoring of pancreatic differentiation.

Karampelias, C. ; Liu, K.C. ; Tengholm, A. ; Andersson, O.

Mechanistic insights and approaches for beta cell regeneration.

Klein, D. ; Palla, G. ; Lange, M. ; Klein, M. ; Piran, Z. ; Gander, M. ; Meng-Papaxanthos, L. ; Sterr, M. ; Saber, L. ; Jing, C. ; Bastidas-Ponce, A. ; Cota, P. ; Tarquis Medina, M. ; Parikh, S. ; Gold, I. ; Lickert, H. ; Bakhti, M. ; Nitzan, M. ; Cuturi, M.C. ; Theis, F.J.

Mapping cells through time and space with moscot.

Matta Pereira, L. ; Weber, P. ; Erener, S. ; Walth-Hummel, A.A. ; Hass, D, ; Bühler, L. ; Klepac, K. ; Szendroedi, J. ; Garcia Guerra, J.F. ; Rohm, M. ; Sterr, M. ; Lickert, H. ; Bartelt, A. ; Herzig, S.

Chronic intermittent fasting impairs β cell maturation and function in adolescent mice.

Miranda-Cervantes, A. ; Fritzen, A.M. ; Raun, S.H. ; Hodek, O. ; Møller, L.L.V. ; Johann, K. ; Deisen, L. ; Gregorevic, P. ; Gudiksen, A. ; Artati, A. ; Adamski, J. ; Andersen, N.R. ; Sigvardsen, C.M. ; Carl, C.S. ; Voldstedlund, C.T. ; Kjøbsted, R. ; Hauck, S.M. ; Schjerling, P. ; Jensen, T.E. ; Cebrian Serrano, A. ; Jähnert, M. ; Gottmann, P. ; Burtscher, I. ; Lickert, H. ; Pilegaard, H. ; Schürmann, A. ; Tschöp, M.H. ; Moritz, T. ; Müller, T.D. ; Sylow, L. ; Kiens, B. ; Richter, E.A. ; Kleinert, M.

Pantothenate kinase 4 controls skeletal muscle substrate metabolism.