Research Groups | kidneyimmunologylab

Group Leader

Bibliography of Dr. med. Julia Lichtnekert

I am a clinician scientist and graduated in medicine at the Medical Faculty of the LMU Munich in 2008. Since 2006, I study immune mechanisms in inflammatory kidney diseases starting with my experimental doctoral thesis in the Anders Lab. For my postdoctoral fellowship, I went to the University of Washington in Seattle in the labs of Jeremy Duffield and Stuart Shankland from 2013-2015, where I investigated distinct resident mononuclear phagocytes (MCPs), macrophages and dendritic cells (DCs) in the kidney. In continuation of those previous studies, I extend my research focus to the repair and regeneration processes of MPCs in acute and chronic kidney injury.

Research focus

My research focus lies in investigating the function of resident MCPs, macrophages and DCs in acute and chronic kidney damage, such as ischemic kidney failure and crystal-related kidney diseases. Resident MCP populations are analyzed based on surface markers (FACS) and they have distinct, probably context-related functions in terms of homeostasis and immunological tolerance. Recently the transcription factor IRF8 was identified as an important marker for cDC1 cells in the kidney having a protective role in acute kidney injury. The main focus of current projects involves the analysis of individual resident MCP populations, which can have inflammatory and anti-inflammatory/reparative properties.

I currently co-supervise the medical student Kristina Borisova and PhD student Hao Long.

List of Publication

A list of all publications from the Lichtnekert group can be found on pubmed:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Lichtnekert+Julia

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Bibliography of Dr. med. Martin Klaus

I am a clinical scientist and my research focus lies on digital kidney morphometry. In 2020, I graduated in medicine with stations in Hamburg, Paris and Munich. Holding additionally a bachelor's degree in mathematics, already during med school I was interested in approaches of systems biology, bioinformatics and biomathematics. In my experimental doctoral thesis at III. Medizinische Klinik, UKE Hamburg, I worked on an innovative project comprising automated kidney cell morphometry analysis using deep learning. In 2021, I started as a clinician at the LMU hospital and continue to work on computational enhanced approaches to analyse kidney biology.

Research focus

My research focus lies on the analysis of kidney morphometry using computational methods. Current projects examine the role and response of cells and kidney structures to stress and diseases. Used methodologies are deep learning and scientific computing libraries applied on kidney histology slides. Additionally, I work on translational projects that try to answer clinical questions using biomathematics, and currently co-supervise one medical student.

List of Publication

A list of all publications from the Klaus group can be found on pubmed:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Klaus+Martin+Kramann

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Bibliography of Dr. Elmina Mammadova-Bach

I've completed my PhD at the University of Strasbourg (France), studying extracellular matrix protein functions in tumor angiogenesis. During my postdoc time (INSERM U949-EFS, University of Strasbourg (2013-2016), and University of Wuerzburg (2017-2020)), I've identified novel functions of blood platelets in thrombotic diseases and cancer metastasis, thereby opening many clinical perspectives. In 2020, I joined the Anders Lab (Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine IV, LMU Hospital, Munich) and studied the role of coagulopathy and platelet function in kidney diseases. In 2021, I have established my own research group “Cancer Clot and Inflammation” at the Walther-Straub Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, LMU Munich.

Research focus

Cancer progression is regulated by the dynamic interaction between cancer cells and different components of the surrounding tumor environment. My research group investigates the role of blood platelets and inflammatory immune cells in the tumor microenvironment of renal cancers. The major focus is to identify regulatory mechanisms of cancer-associated thrombo-inflammation, tumor invasion and metastasis, thereby proposing new anti-cancer treatments in patients with renal cancers (ongoing collaboration with the Anders Lab). I also collaborate with several national and international groups in the research field of Haematology, Urology and Oncology (LMU Hospital, Munich; Université Côte d'Azur, Nice; Université de Strasbourg, France). I actively support the research and teaching programs of LMU and LMU Hospital and supervise BSc, FöFoLe, MD and PhD students.

List of Publication

A list of all publications from the Bach group can be found on PubMed:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=mammadova-bach+e

Affiliated Scientists

Helen Liapis, Adjunct Prof. Dr. med.

She is a human nephropathologist working on the molecular pathogenesis of kidney disease. Her current research projects include the CUREGN consortium in the USA and ongoing collaboration with the Anders Lab.

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