Woman and Diabetes
Most patients and particularly women with type-2 diabetes mellitus develop cardiovascular disease with substantial loss of life expectancy. Nonfatal cardiovascular disease contributes greatly to healthcare costs and decreased quality of life in patients with diabetes. Atherogenic dyslipidemia, high blood sugar and obesity are key contributors in people with insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and type-2 diabetes and is one of the strongest and independent predictors for cardiovascular disease. Unfortunately, the early stages of type-2 diabetes mellitus often go unrecognized, worsening the situation. People with obesity, particularly those referred to as ‘metabolically healthy obese,’ have a substantially higher risk of developing diabetes and its complications. This highlights that the current diagnostic methods are inadequate for capturing the heterogeneity seen in patient presentations, disease course, and response to therapy.
Our mission is to close this knowledge-gap by developing precise diagnostic tools and identifying novel and non-traditional biomarkers and treatment targets to monitor and preserve cardio-metabolic health on an individual basis using a wide range of techniques spanning biophysical chemistry, molecular biology, protein biochemistry, cell biology, multiomics and animal physiology in three metabolically important tissues.
1. Skeletal muscle and intermuscular fat (IMAT): known as a critical driver for cardio-metabolic disease and diabetes, IMAT increases with aging at an accelerated rate in men and women with diabetes. We are conducting in-depth molecular metabolic profiling of skeletal muscle and IMAT using state-of-the-art techniques such as spatial multiomics, functional microscopy, and mitochondrial bioenergetics to create an individual and detailed molecular environment profile. This profile will be correlated with the novel non-invasive imaging technique MSOT and MIROM, a photoacoustic microscopy assessment of tissue composition, to develop a non-invasive diagnostic tool for accurately assessing metabolic disease states and the impact of lifestyle interventions such as diet and exercise.
2. Circulating immune cells: chronic conditions like obesity and insulin resistance induce functional changes in immune cells, especially monocytes and T-lymphocytes, increasing their pro-inflammatory profiles. We hypothesize that certain immune cell features could potentially be used to identify non-traditional biomarkers to monitor cardio-metabolic disease and treatment response on an individual basis.
3. Central Nervous System (CNS): Specific brain regions play a crucial role in regulating major metabolic processes and cardiovascular functions. We explore neuroendocrine mechanisms that may contribute to the development of cardiometabolic diseases, aiming to uncover new therapeutic targets.
By advancing our understanding in these key areas, we strive to improve the quality of life and life expectancy for individuals with type-2 diabetes mellitus, ultimately reducing the healthcare costs associated with nonfatal cardiovascular diseases.
Most patients and particularly women with type-2 diabetes mellitus develop cardiovascular disease with substantial loss of life expectancy. Nonfatal cardiovascular disease contributes greatly to healthcare costs and decreased quality of life in patients with diabetes. Atherogenic dyslipidemia, high blood sugar and obesity are key contributors in people with insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and type-2 diabetes and is one of the strongest and independent predictors for cardiovascular disease. Unfortunately, the early stages of type-2 diabetes mellitus often go unrecognized, worsening the situation. People with obesity, particularly those referred to as ‘metabolically healthy obese,’ have a substantially higher risk of developing diabetes and its complications. This highlights that the current diagnostic methods are inadequate for capturing the heterogeneity seen in patient presentations, disease course, and response to therapy.
Our mission is to close this knowledge-gap by developing precise diagnostic tools and identifying novel and non-traditional biomarkers and treatment targets to monitor and preserve cardio-metabolic health on an individual basis using a wide range of techniques spanning biophysical chemistry, molecular biology, protein biochemistry, cell biology, multiomics and animal physiology in three metabolically important tissues.
1. Skeletal muscle and intermuscular fat (IMAT): known as a critical driver for cardio-metabolic disease and diabetes, IMAT increases with aging at an accelerated rate in men and women with diabetes. We are conducting in-depth molecular metabolic profiling of skeletal muscle and IMAT using state-of-the-art techniques such as spatial multiomics, functional microscopy, and mitochondrial bioenergetics to create an individual and detailed molecular environment profile. This profile will be correlated with the novel non-invasive imaging technique MSOT and MIROM, a photoacoustic microscopy assessment of tissue composition, to develop a non-invasive diagnostic tool for accurately assessing metabolic disease states and the impact of lifestyle interventions such as diet and exercise.
2. Circulating immune cells: chronic conditions like obesity and insulin resistance induce functional changes in immune cells, especially monocytes and T-lymphocytes, increasing their pro-inflammatory profiles. We hypothesize that certain immune cell features could potentially be used to identify non-traditional biomarkers to monitor cardio-metabolic disease and treatment response on an individual basis.
3. Central Nervous System (CNS): Specific brain regions play a crucial role in regulating major metabolic processes and cardiovascular functions. We explore neuroendocrine mechanisms that may contribute to the development of cardiometabolic diseases, aiming to uncover new therapeutic targets.
By advancing our understanding in these key areas, we strive to improve the quality of life and life expectancy for individuals with type-2 diabetes mellitus, ultimately reducing the healthcare costs associated with nonfatal cardiovascular diseases.
Who we are
Publications
Read more2025 Position paper in Diabetologie, Die
Geschlechtersensible Aspekte von Diabetes mellitus Typ 2.Präzisionsmedizin der Zukunft in der Diabetologie.
2024 Cardiovascular Diabetology
Correction: GIP receptor agonism improves dyslipidemia and atherosclerosis independently of body weight loss in preclinical mouse model for cardio-metabolic disease.
2024 Scientific Article in Photoacoustics
Non-invasive optoacoustic imaging of dermal microcirculatory revascularization in diet-induced obese mice undergoing exercise intervention.
2024 Review in Zeitschrift für Medizinische Ethik
Leitbilder und Forschung in der Geschlechtersensiblen Medizin.
2024 Scientific Article in Molecular Metabolism
Loss of GIPR in LEPR cells impairs glucose control by GIP and GIP:GLP-1 co-agonism without affecting body weight and food intake in mice.
2023 Scientific Article in Nature metabolism
Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide regulates body weight and food intake via GABAergic neurons in mice.
2023 Scientific Article in Cell Metabolism
Regulatory T cells require IL6 receptor alpha signaling to control skeletal muscle function and regeneration.
2023 Scientific Article in Cardiovascular Diabetology
GIP receptor agonism improves dyslipidemia and atherosclerosis independently of body weight loss in preclinical mouse model for cardio-metabolic disease.
2023 Scientific Article in EMBO Reports
Fasting-sensitive SUMO-switch on Prox1 controls hepatic cholesterol metabolism.
2023 Scientific Article in Diabetologia
Skeletal muscle and intermuscular adipose tissue gene expression profiling identifies new biomarkers with prognostic significance for insulin resistance progression and intervention response.
2023 Scientific Article in Photoacoustics
Non-invasive multispectral optoacoustic tomography resolves intrahepatic lipids in patients with hepatic steatosis.
2022 Scientific Article in Molecular Metabolism
Validation of Mct8/Oatp1c1 dKO mice as a model organism for the Allan-Herndon-Dudley Syndrome.
2022 Scientific Article in Nature metabolism
GLP-1-mediated delivery of tesaglitazar improves obesity and glucose metabolism in male mice.
2022 Other: News Item in Nature Reviews - Endocrinology
Research in metabolic ageing - a tale of mice versus humans?
2021 Scientific Article in EMBO Molecular Medicine
Functional multispectral optoacoustic tomography imaging of hepatic steatosis development in mice.
2021 Scientific Article in Neuroendocrinology
Lipid droplets accumulate in the hypothalamus of mice and humans with and without metabolic diseases.
