Section of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology

The Section of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology (SRKI, https://www.ukm.de/index.php?id=4609) of the Medical Clinic D is closely linked with the Department of Translational Rheumatology and Immunology at the IMM. Both are headed by Prof. Kriegel, which facilitates bench-to-bedside as well as reverse translation in this research area. In addition to specialized clinical care for rheumatologic patients, the SRKI is also developing translational studies that examine the microbiome in autoimmune diseases in more detail. Stool, skin and oral cavity samples, among other, are collected in order to mechanistically study the microbiota in these clinical settings in the Department of Translational Rheumatology.

Department of Translational Rheumatology and Immunology

The Department of Translational Rheumatology and Immunology researches the development of rheumatic and other immune-mediated diseases with a focus on the role of the microbiome. In particular, we investigate the interaction between the immune system and commensal bacteria on the skin, the intestines and other mucosal sites such as the oral cavity. We have previously discovered (at Yale University, https://medicine.yale.edu/lab/kriegel/) so called pathobionts that trigger or worsen autoimmunity through various cellular and molecular mechanisms. In addition, we have developed strategies in experimental models to modulate the microbiome in order to reduce the severity or prevent the development of these diseases. These interventions relate to vaccinations against commensal bacteria, dietary changes, and antibiotics. You can find more details about our research, the location of our research laboratory and detailed projects here: https://www.medizin.uni-muenster.de/mikrobiom/startseite/

  • Team

    Dr. med. Nathalie Becker
    Clinican Scientist
    Department of Translational Rheumatology and Immunology
    Immun-Mikrobiota laboratory
    Address: Von Esmarch-Str. 54
    D-48149 Münster
    Phone: +49-251-83-46857
    Email

     

    Anna Brinkhege
    PhD student
    Department of Translational Rheumatology und Immunology
    Von Esmarch-Str. 54, D-48149 Münster
    Tel.: +49-251-83-46857
    Email

    Carina Brune
    PhD student
    Department of Translational Rheumatology und Immunology
    Von Esmarch-Str. 54, D-48149 Münster
    Tel.: +49 251 83-46857
    Email

    Clara Diemer
    MD Student (MedK)
    Department of Translational Rheumatology and Immunology
    Von-Esmarch-Str. 54, D-48149 Münster
    Phone: +49 251 83-46857
    Email

    Magnus Dobrindt
    MD Student (MedK)
    Department of Translational Rheumatology and Immunology
    Von-Esmarch-Str. 54, D-48149 Münster
    Phone: +49 251 83-46857
    Email

    Helen Fuhrmann
    PhD Student
    Department of Translational Rheumatoloy and Immunology
    Address: Von Esmarch-Str. 54
    D-48149 Münster
    Phone: +49-251-83-46857
    Email

    Prof. Dr. med. Martin Kriegel
    Head, Department of Translational Rheumatology and Immunology
    Phone: +49-251-8352949
    Röntgenstraße 21, 2nd floor, room 110.057
    Email

     

    Ulrike Löschberger
    PhD Student
    Department of Translational Rheumatoloy and Immunology
    Address: Von Esmarch-Str. 54
    D-48149 Münster
    Tel.: +49-251-83-46857
    Email

    Eva Mickholz
    Study coordination / Labmanagement
    Department of Translational Rheumatology and Immunology
    Section of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology
    Address: Röntgenstraße 21
    D-48149 Münster
    Phone.: +49-251-83-48368 oder -56187
    Fax: +49-251-83-44958
    Email

    Javier Moléon Moya
    Postdoc
    Department of Translational Rheumatoloy and Immunology
    Address: Von Esmarch-Str. 54
    D-48149 Münster
    Tel.: +49-251-83-46857
    Email

    Dr. Marcia Pereira
    Postdoc
    Department of Translational Rheumatoloy and Immunology
    Address: Röntgenstraße 21
    D-48149 Münster
    Phone: +49-251-83-57163
    Email
     

    Vanesa Plaza Álvarez
    TA
    Department of Translational Rheumatology and Immunology
    Röntgenstraße 21, 2nd floor, room 110.055
    Phone: +49-251-83-52949
     

    Dr. rer. nat. Sylvio Redanz
    Groupleader and Labmanagement
    Department of Translational Rheumatoloy and Immunology
    Address: Röntgenstraße 21
    D-48149 Münster
    Phone: +49-251-83-52987
    Email

    Dr. rer. nat. Stefanie Robeck
    Postdoc
    Department of Translational Rheumatology and Immunology
    Röntgenstraße 21, D-49149 Münster, room 110.055
    Phone: +49 251 83-52949
    Email
     

    Beate Schulte
    BTA
    Department of Translational Rheumatoloy and Immunology
    Address: Röntgenstraße 21
    D-48149 Münster
    Phone: +49-251-83-57163
    Email

    Katja Stuhlträger
    Department of Translational Rheumatology and Immunology
    Immun-Mikrobiota laboratory
    Address: Von Esmarch-Str. 54
    D-48149 Münster
    Phone: +49-251-83-46857
    Email Kontakt

     

    Andrea Wauligmann
    Project Coordinator BMBF
    Department of Molecular Medicine
    Room: 0.027
    Phone.: +49-251-83-56750
    Fax: +49-251-83-57462
    Email
     

    Justina Weigant
    (currently out of office)
    Secretary/PA to Prof. Martin Kriegel
    Department of Translational Rheumatology and Immunology
    Röntgenstraße 21, 2nd floor, room 110.055
    Phone: +49-251-83-52949
    Email

  • Projects

    A) The role of intestinal wall permeability and translocating pathobionts in autoimmune diseases

    B) The influence of diet and the environment on the microbiome and microbiome-associated diseases

    C) Disruption of immunological tolerance by microbiota

    D) The role of the microbiome in the development of tumors of lymphatic tissue.

    Funding organization: Interreg (Co-)financed by the European Union

    Projecttitel: Smart Gut

    Duration: 07.05.2025 - 30.04.2029

    planned project costs (total): 2.621.409,70 €

    Partners: 

    • airCode UG (haftungsbeschränkt)
    • Crohn & Colitis NL
    • Deutsche Rheuma-Liga Bundesverband e. V.
    • Oost NL
    • Predica Diagnostics B.V.
    • Radboud universitair medisch centrum / Radboudumc
    • Universität Münster

    Projectwebsite: Smart Gut at  https://www.oneplanetresearch.nl/project/smart-gut/

    Global Team Science Award

    Lupus Research Alliance

    Title: TransLuMi = Translocating Lupus Microbiomes
    Gut Pathobiont Translocation and Barrier Function in Human SLE

    Duration: 3 Jahre

    Funding: 3.000.000 USD

    Partners:

    • Dr. Eran Elinav, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
    • Dr. Nissan Yissachar, Bar-Ilhan-University, Israel
    • Prof. George Tsokos MD, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (Havard), USA
    • Prof. Ilana Brito, Cornell University, USA

    Website:www.translumi.com

  • Publications

    selected publications

    2025

    Zhou H, Balint D, Shi Q, Vartanian T, Kriegel MA, Brito I. Lupus and inflammatory bowel disease share a common set of microbiome features distinct from other autoimmune disorders.Ann Rheum Dis. 2025 Jan;84(1):93-105. doi: 10.1136/ard-2024-225829. Epub 2025 Jan 2. PMID: 39874239; PMCID: PMC11868722.

    2023

    Pereira MS, Kriegel MA.Translocating Lactobacillus torments tumors via tryptophan catabolism.Cell. 2023 Apr 27;186(9):1821-1823. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.03.022. PMID: 37116468.

    Pereira MS, Kriegel MA. Evolving concepts of host-pathobiont interactions in autoimmunity.Curr Opin Immunol. 2023 Feb;80:102265. doi: 10.1016/j.coi.2022.102265. Epub 2022 Nov 25. PMID: 36444784.

    Kriegel MA. Subdoligranulum chews up joints: how a gut pathobiont can instigate arthritis.Trends Immunol. 2023 Jan;44(1):4-6. doi: 10.1016/j.it.2022.11.006. Epub 2022 Dec 6. PMID: 36494272.

    2022

    Brito IL, Kriegel MA. Structural host immune-microbiota interactions.Curr Opin Struct Biol. 2022 Oct;76:102445. doi: 10.1016/j.sbi.2022.102445. Epub 2022 Sep 2. PMID: 36063760.

    Yang Y, Nguyen M, Khetrapal V, Sonnert ND, Martin AL, Chen H, Kriegel MA, Palm NW. Within-host evolution of a gut pathobiont facilitates liver translocation.Nature. 2022 Jul;607(7919):563-570. doi: 10.1038/s41586-022-04949-x. Epub 2022 Jul 13. PMID: 35831502; PMCID: PMC9308686.

    Redanz S, Kriegel MA.Die Rolle des Mikrobioms bei Lupus und Antiphospholipidsyndrom [The role of the microbiome in lupus and antiphospholipid syndrome].Z Rheumatol. 2022 Jun;81(5):423-426. German. doi: 10.1007/s00393-022-01184-7. Epub 2022 Apr 5. PMID: 35380248.

    Pereira MS, Redanz S, Kriegel MA. Skin Deep: The Role of the Microbiota in Cutaneous Autoimmunity.J Invest Dermatol. 2022 Mar;142(3 Pt B):834-840. doi: 10.1016/j.jid.2021.12.005. Epub 2022 Jan 10. PMID: 35027173.

    2021

    Dehner CA, Ruff WE, Greiling T, Pereira MS, Redanz S, McNiff J, Girardi M, Kriegel MA.Malignant T Cell Activation by a Bacillus Species Isolated from Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma Lesions.JID Innov. 2021 Dec 16;2(2):100084. doi: 10.1016/j.xjidi.2021.100084. PMID: 35199089; PMCID: PMC8844718.

    2020

    Ruff WE, Greiling TM, Kriegel MA.Host-microbiota interactions in immune-mediated diseases.Nat Rev Microbiol. 2020 Sep;18(9):521-538. doi: 10.1038/s41579-020-0367-2. Epub 2020 May 26. PMID: 32457482.

    Fine RL, Mubiru DL, Kriegel MA. Friend or foe? Lactobacillus in the context of autoimmune disease. Adv Immunol. 2020;146:29-56. doi: 10.1016/bs.ai.2020.02.002. Epub 2020 Mar 19. PMID: 32327152.

    2019

    Zegarra-Ruiz DF, El Beidaq A, Iñiguez AJ, Lubrano Di Ricco M, Manfredo Vieira S, Ruff WE, Mubiru D, Fine RL, Sterpka J, Greiling TM, Dehner C, Kriegel MA. A Diet-Sensitive Commensal Lactobacillus Strain Mediates TLR7-Dependent Systemic Autoimmunity. Cell Host Microbe. 2019 Jan 9;25(1):113-127.e6. doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2018.11.009. Epub 2018 Dec 20. PMID: 30581114; PMCID: PMC6377154.

    Ruff WE, Dehner C, Kim WJ, Pagovich O, Aguiar CL, Yu AT, Roth AS, Vieira SM, Kriegel C, Adeniyi O, Mulla MJ, Abrahams VM, Kwok WW, Nussinov R, Erkan D, Goodman AL, Kriegel MA. Pathogenic Autoreactive T and B Cells Cross-React with Mimotopes Expressed by a Common Human Gut Commensal to Trigger Autoimmunity. Cell Host Microbe. 2019 Jul 10;26(1):100-113.e8. doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2019.05.003. Epub 2019 Jun 18. PMID: 31227334; PMCID: PMC8194364.

    2018

    Manfredo Vieira S, Hiltensperger M, Kumar V, Zegarra-Ruiz D, Dehner C, Khan N, Costa FRC, Tiniakou E, Greiling T, Ruff W, Barbieri A, Kriegel C, Mehta SS, Knight JR, Jain D, Goodman AL, Kriegel MA. Translocation of a gut pathobiont drives autoimmunity in mice and humans.Science. 2018 Mar 9;359(6380):1156-1161. doi: 10.1126/science.aar7201. Erratum in: Science. 2018 May 4;360(6388):eaat9922. doi: 10.1126/science.aat9922. PMID: 29590047; PMCID: PMC5959731.

    Greiling TM, Dehner C, Chen X, Hughes K, Iñiguez AJ, Boccitto M, Ruiz DZ, Renfroe SC, Vieira SM, Ruff WE, Sim S, Kriegel C, Glanternik J, Chen X, Girardi M, Degnan P, Costenbader KH, Goodman AL, Wolin SL, Kriegel MA. Commensal orthologs of the human autoantigen Ro60 as triggers of autoimmunity in lupus.Sci Transl Med. 2018 Mar 28;10(434):eaan2306. doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aan2306. PMID: 29593104; PMCID: PMC5918293.