About

The overarching aim of the Microphysiological Tissue Models group is to to narrow the translational gap between preclinical research and clinical programs in order to reduce drug development times, increase R&D success rates and improve patient health. To this end, we bioengineer human model systems that closely recapitulate human tissue phenotypes and functions. By integrating primary patient-derived tissues, advanced bioprinting, microfluidics and chemogenomics, we aim to create predictive, adaptive and mechanistically transparent platforms for pharmacological and toxicological research that accelerate discovery and improve translational fidelity with an emphasis on clinically actionable insights to directly address unmet needs for the treatment of metabolic disease and cancer.

Heads

Prof. Dr. Volker Lauschke
Deputy Head at IKP
Research Group Leader Microphysiological Tissue Models of Metabolic Disease
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Prof. Michael Torzewski
Research Group Leader Microphysiological Tissue Models of Metabolic Disease
Tel+49-711-8101 3500
michael.torzewski@rbk.de
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Team Members

Dr. Oliver Burk
Senior Scientist
Tel+49-711-8101 5091
oliver.burk@ikp-stuttgart.de
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Dr. Kathrin Klein
Senior Scientist
Tel+49-711-8101 5648
kathrin.klein@ikp-stuttgart.de
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Dr. Annemarie Witz
Scientist
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Dr. Reza Zandi Shafagh
Research Engineer (external)
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Dr. Ran Lu
Visiting Researcher
ran.lu@ikp-stuttgart.de
Chen Xing
PhD Student
chen.xing@ikp-stuttgart.de
Jibbe Keulen
PhD Student
jibbe.keulen@rbk.de
Tipack Ayothyapattanam Shanmugam
PhD Student
Tel+49 711 8101-5092
Tipack.AShanmugam@bosch-health-campus.com
Britta Klumpp
Technical Assistant
Tel+49-711-8101 2064
britta.klumpp@ikp-stuttgart.de
Igor Liebermann
Technical Assistant
Tel+49-711-8101 5769
igor.liebermann@ikp-stuttgart.de
Kerstin Winter
Technical Assistant
Tel+49-711-81012096
kerstin.winter@ikp-stuttgart.de
Karina Abuazi
Technical Assistant
Tel+49-711-8101 2093
Karina.AbuaziRincones@ikp-stuttgart.de

Selected publications of the Research Group

  • Klein K, Burk O, Tremmel R, Buettner FA, Kaestle L, Schroth W, Muerdter TE, Eccles D, Schmidt A-C, Nieß H, Zanger UM, Schwab M, Lauschke VM. Transcription factors of the Nuclear Factor I (NFI) family control hepatocyte differentiation and cytochrome P450 activity in human liver. Pharmacol Res(221):107998, 2025. doi: 10.1016/j.phrs.2025.107998.
  • Motso A, Pelcman B, Kalinovich A, Kahlous NA, Bokhari MH, Dehvari N, Halleskog C, Waara E, Jong J de, Cheesman E, Kallenberg C, Yakala GK, Murad P, Wetterdal E, Andersson P, van Beek S, Sandström A, Alleluia DN, Talamonti E, Youhanna S, Sabatier P, Koenig C, Willems S, Kemas AM, Hutchinson DS, Ham S, Grätz L, Voss J, Marchan-Alvarez JG, Priede M, Jaunsleine K, Spura J, Kovada V, Supe L, Stoddart LA, Holliday ND, Newton PT, Pillon NJ, Schulte G, Summers RJ, Mutule I, Suna E, Olsen JV, Molenaar P, Carlsson J, Lauschke VM, Wright SC, Bengtsson T. GRK-biased adrenergic agonists for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity. Cell. 19(188):5142-5156.e23, 2025. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2025.05.042.
  • Tremmel R, Zhou Y, Camara MD, Laarif S, Eliasson E, Lauschke VM. PharmFreq: a comprehensive atlas of ethnogeographic allelic variation in clinically important pharmacogenes. Nucleic Acids Res. D1(53):D1498-D1509, 2025. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkae1016.
  • Youhanna S, Kemas AM, Wright SC, Zhong Y, Klumpp B, Klein K, Motso A, Michel M, Ziegler N, Shang M, Sabatier P, Kannt A, Sheng H, Oliva-Vilarnau N, Büttner FA, Seashore-Ludlow B, Schreiner J, Windbergs M, Cornillet M, Björkström NK, Hülsmeier AJ, Hornemann T, Olsen JV, Wang Y, Gramignoli R, Sundström M, Lauschke VM. Chemogenomic Screening in a Patient-Derived 3D Fatty Liver Disease Model Reveals the CHRM1-TRPM8 Axis as a Novel Module for Targeted Intervention. Adv Sci (Weinh). 3(12):e2407572, 2025. doi: 10.1002/advs.202407572.
  • Kemas AM, Zandi Shafagh R, Taebnia N, Michel M, Preiss L, Hofmann U, Lauschke VM. Compound Absorption in Polymer Devices Impairs the Translatability of Preclinical Safety Assessments. Adv Healthc Mater. 11(13):e2303561, 2024. doi: 10.1002/adhm.202303561.
  • Kizilkaya HS, Sørensen KV, Madsen JS, Lindquist P, Douros JD, Bork-Jensen J, Berghella A, Gerlach PA, Gasbjerg LS, Mokrosiński J, Mowery SA, Knerr PJ, Finan B, Campbell JE, D'Alessio DA, Perez-Tilve D, Faas F, Mathiasen S, Rungby J, Sørensen HT, Vaag A, Nielsen JS, Holm J-C, Lauenborg J, Damm P, Pedersen O, Linneberg A, Hartmann B, Holst JJ, Hansen T, Wright SC, Lauschke VM, Grarup N, Hauser AS, Rosenkilde MM. Characterization of genetic variants of GIPR reveals a contribution of β-arrestin to metabolic phenotypes. Nat Metab. 7(6):1268–1281, 2024. doi: 10.1038/s42255-024-01061-4.
  • Monteil VM, Wright SC, Dyczynski M, Kellner MJ, Appelberg S, Platzer SW, Ibrahim A, Kwon H, Pittarokoilis I, Mirandola M, Michlits G, Devignot S, Elder E, Abdurahman S, Bereczky S, Bagci B, Youhanna S, Aastrup T, Lauschke VM, Salata C, Elaldi N, Weber F, Monserrat N, Hawman DW, Feldmann H, Horn M, Penninger JM, Mirazimi A. Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus uses LDLR to bind and enter host cells. Nat Microbiol. 6(9):1499–1512, 2024. doi: 10.1038/s41564-024-01672-3.
  • Oliva-Vilarnau N, Beusch CM, Sabatier P, Sakaraki E, Tjaden A, Graetz L, Büttner FA, Dorotea D, Nguyen M, Bergqvist F, Sundström Y, Müller S, Zubarev RA, Schulte G, Tredup C, Gramignoli R, Tietge UJF, Lauschke VM. Wnt/β-catenin and NFκB signaling synergize to trigger growth factor-free regeneration of adult primary human hepatocytes. Hepatology. 6(79):1337–1351, 2024. doi: 10.1097/HEP.0000000000000648.
  • Yu M, Li W, Yu Y, Zhao Y, Xiao L, Lauschke VM, Cheng Y, Zhang X, Wang Y. Deep learning large-scale drug discovery and repurposing. Nat Comput Sci. 8(4):600–614, 2024. doi: 10.1038/s43588-024-00679-4.
  • Barreby E, Strunz B, Nock S, Naudet L, Shen JX, Johansson H, Sönnerborg I, Ma J, Urgard E, Pallett LJ, Hu Y, Fardellas A, Azzimato V, Vankova A, Levi L, Morgantini C, Maini MK, Stål P, Rosshart SP, Coquet JM, Nowak G, Näslund E, Lauschke VM, Ellis E, Björkström NK, Chen P, Aouadi M. Human resident liver myeloid cells protect against metabolic stress in obesity. Nat Metab. 7(5):1188–1203, 2023. doi: 10.1038/s42255-023-00834-7.
  • Witz A, Effertz D, Goebel N, Schwab M, Franke UFW, Torzewski M. Pro-Calcifying Role of Enzymatically Modified LDL (eLDL) in Aortic Valve Sclerosis via Induction of IL-6 and IL-33. Biomolecules. 7(13, 2023. doi: 10.3390/biom13071091.
  • Wright SC, Motso A, Koutsilieri S, Beusch CM, Sabatier P, Berghella A, Blondel-Tepaz É, Mangenot K, Pittarokoilis I, Sismanoglou D-C, Le Gouill C, Olsen JV, Zubarev RA, Lambert NA, Hauser AS, Bouvier M, Lauschke VM. GLP-1R signaling neighborhoods associate with the susceptibility to adverse drug reactions of incretin mimetics. Nat Commun. 1(14):6243, 2023. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-41893-4.
  • Zandi Shafagh R, Youhanna S, Keulen J, Shen JX, Taebnia N, Preiss LC, Klein K, Büttner FA, Bergqvist M, van der Wijngaart W, Lauschke VM. Bioengineered Pancreas-Liver Crosstalk in a Microfluidic Coculture Chip Identifies Human Metabolic Response Signatures in Prediabetic Hyperglycemia. Adv Sci (Weinh). 34(9):e2203368, 2022. doi: 10.1002/advs.202203368.