At the Institute for Vascular and Islet Cell Biology, the pathomechanisms in beta cells and endothelial cells in glucose intolerance and type 2 diabetes are researched.
Diabetes is caused by dysfunction of pancreatic islets. The islets are cell aggregates and mainly consist of insulin-secreting pancreatic beta cells. Islet dysfunction affects beta cells in that these cells display a defective insulin secretion, have an increased cell death and undergo dedifferentiation.
Members of the Institute work on these aspects of islet cell biology and were the first to show that a defective vascularization of pancreatic islets causes prediabetes, a first step towards a manifested diabetes mellitus.
The members could also show that blood vessels provide tissues, including pancreatic islets and liver tissue, with critical growth factors triggered by blood flow and thus affect tissue growth and survival.
Besides working on basic aspects of pancreatic islets and blood vessels, the Institute also works on development of new compounds and therapies to better treat diabetes and its cardiovascular long-term complications.
Managing Directors
Univ.-Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Eckhard Lammert
Director
Institute for Vascular and Islet Cell Biology
+49 211 3382-734
+49-(0)211-8114-990
Dr. rer. nat. Bengt-Frederik Belgardt, Dipl. Biol.
Deputy Director
Institute for Vascular and Islet Cell Biology
+49 211 3382-451
Esther Hedderich, Dipl.-Humanbiol.
Administrative Assistance
Institute for Vascular and Islet Cell Biology
+49 211 3382-734
Selected Publications
- Scholz O, Huß E, Otter S, Herebian D, Hamacher A, Levy LM, Hristeva S, Sanz M, Ajani H, Puentes AR, Hoffmann T, Hogeback J, Unger A, Terheyden S, Reina do Fundo M, Dewidar B, Roden M, Lammert E 2023. Protection of pancreatic islets from oxidative cell death by a peripherally-active morphinan with increased drug safety. Mol Metab. 75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molmet.2023.101775
- Pelligra A, Mrugala J, Griess K, Kirschner P, Nortmann O, Bartosinska B, Köster A, Krupenko NI, Gebel D, Westhoff P, Steckel B, Eberhard D, Herebian D, Belgardt B-F, Schrader J, Weber APM, Krupenko SA, Lammert E 2023. Pancreatic islet protection at the expense of secretory function involves serine-linked mitochondrial one-carbon metabolism. Cell Rep. 42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112703
- Griess K, Rieck M, Müller N, Karsai G, Hartwig S, Pelligra A, Hardt R, Schlegel C, Kuboth J, Uhlemeyer C, Trenkamp S, Jeruschke K, Weiss J, Peifer-Weiss L, Xu W, Cames S, Yi X, Cnop M, Beller M, Stark H, Kondadi AK, Reichert AS, Markgraf D, Wammers M, Häussinger D, Kuss O, Lehr S, Eizirik D, Lickert H, Lammert E, Roden M, Winter D, Al-Hasani H, Höglinger D, Hornemann T, Brüning JC, Belgardt B-F 2023. Sphingolipid subtypes differentially control proinsulin processing and systemic glucose homeostasis. Nat Cell Biol. 25: 20–29 . https://doi.org/10.1038/s41556-022-01027-2
- Scholz O, Otter S, Welters A, Wörmeyer L, Dolenšek J, Klemen MS, Pohorec V, Eberhard D, Mrugala J, Hamacher A, Koch A, Sanz M, Hoffmann T, Hogeback J, Herebian D, Klöcker N, Piechot A, Mayatepek E, Meissner T, Stožer A, Lammert E 2021. Peripherally active dextromethorphan derivatives lower blood glucose levels by targeting pancreatic islets. Cell Chem Biol. 28: 1474-1488.e7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chembiol.2021.05.011
- Urner S, Planas-Paz L, Hilger LS, Henning C, Branopolski A, Kelly-Goss M, Stanczuk L, Pitter B, Montanez E, Peirce SM, Mäkinen T, Lammert E 2019. Identification of ILK as a critical regulator of VEGFR3 signalling and lymphatic vascular growth. EMBO J. 38. https://doi.org/10.15252/embj.201899322
- Lorenz L, Axnick J, Buschmann T, Henning C, Urner S, Fang S, Nurmi H, Eichhorst N, Holtmeier R, Bódis K, Hwang J-H, Müssig K, Eberhard D, Stypmann J, Kuss O, Roden M, Alitalo K, Häussinger D, Lammert E 2018. Mechanosensing by β1 integrin induces angiocrine signals for liver growth and survival. Nature. 562: 128-132. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-018-0522-3
- Kragl M, Schubert R, Haiko K, Otter S, Bartosinska B, Jeruschke K, Weiß J, Chen C, Alsteens D, Kuss O, Speier S, Eberhard D, Müller DJ, Lammert E 2016. The biomechanical properties of an epithelial tissue determine the location of its vasculature. Nat Commun. 7. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms13560
- Marquard J, Otter S, Welters A, Stirban A, Fischer A, Eglinger J, Herebian D, Kletke O, Klemen MS, Stožer A, Wnendt S, Piemonti L, Köhler M, Ferrer J, Thorens B, Schliess F, Rupnik MS, Heise T, Berggren P-O, Klöcker N, Meissner T, Mayatepek E, Eberhard D, Kragl M, Lammert E 2015. Characterization of pancreatic NMDA receptors as possible drug targets for diabetes treatment. Nat Med. 21: 363-72. https://doi.org/10.1038/nm.3822
- Konstantinova I, Nikolova G, Ohara-Imaizumi M, Meda P, Kucera T, Zarbalis K, Wurst W, Nagamatsu S, Lammert E 2007. EphA-Ephrin-A-mediated beta cell communication regulates insulin secretion from pancreatic islets. Cell. 129: 359-70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2007.02.044
- Lammert E, Cleaver O, Melton D 2001. Induction of pancreatic differentiation by signals from blood vessels. Science (New York, N.Y.). 294: 564-7. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1064344
Cooperations
Selected external cooperation partners (alphabetical)
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach: Dr. P. Eickelmann, Dr. S.G. Kauschke, Dr. D. Schumann
- Cisanello Krankenhaus, Pisa: Prof. Dr. P. Marchetti, Dr. M. Bugliani
- Harvard Medical School, Boston: Prof. Dr. N. Gray, Dr. Q. Liu, Dr. J. Wang
- Hubrecht Institut, Utrecht: Prof. Dr. S. Schulte-Merker, Dr. F.L. Bos
- Karls-Universität, Prag: Prof. Dr. T. Kucera
- Klinik für Allgemeine Pädiatrie, Neonatologie und Kinderkardiologie, Universitätsklinikum Düsseldorf: Dr. D. Herebian, Dr. J. Marquard, Prof. Dr. E. Mayatepek, PD Dr. T. Meissner
- MPI für Biochemie, München: Prof. Dr. R. Fässler, Prof. Dr. M. Mann
- Osaka Universität, Osaka: Prof. Dr. S. Tsukita
- Profil Institut für Stoffwechselforschung, Neuss: Dr. T. Heise, Prof. Dr. F. Schliess, Dr. A. Stirban
- San Raffaele Wissenschaftsinstitut, Mailand: Dr. L. Piemonti
- Technische Universität Dresden: Prof. Dr. S. Bornstein, Prof. Dr. G. Breier, Dr. S. Speier
- Universität Bremen: Prof. Dr. K. Maedler
- University of British Columbia, Vancouver: Prof. Dr. K.M. McNagny, Dr. M.R. Hughes
- University of California, San Diego: Prof. Dr. Napoleone Ferrara