Helmholtz Diabetes Center Institute of Diabetes and Regeneration Research

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.

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.

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.

Deciphering the molecular mechanisms driving intestinal stem cell lineage decisions in order to identify new druggable targets for the treatment of diet-induced intestinal dysfunction. Understanding 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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

The IDR Management team covers the administrative/ organisational aspects of all scientific projects at IDR. 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 like Finances, Human Resources, Legal & Compliance, Communications & Strategic Relations, Innovation and Strategy/ Programs/ Resources, as well as Core Facilities like Antibody and Laboratory Animal Sciences CF. We accompany projects from the planning phase, during performance until reporting and are contact partners to grantors and authorities.