Our profile

  "Physiology" we define by a central question: "How does it work?"

  For answering this question we apply several methods including molecular biology, electrophysiology, microbiology, biophysics, laser-scanning microscopy, and freeze-fracture electron microscopy

  We investigate all levels of the organism: molecules, cells, tissues, organoids, and the whole body

  Our approach is translational as it combines basic research with topics related to diseases of the intestines, kidneys, nerves, and skin

  Main research topics are the tight junction and membrane channel molecules of the "intelligent borders of the body", the epithelia

  We perform numerous collaborative projects with colleagues from clinical departments

  Clinical Physiology / Nutritional Medicine is a unit within the Dept. of Gastroenterology, Rheumatology, and Infectious Diseases and is located in the central tract of the Campus Benjamin Franklin

   News update       Blog archive

• Mousa SA*, Metwally EY* (*shared first authorship), Li X, Tafelski S, Retana Romero OA, Piontek J, Treskatsch S, Schäfer M, Shaqura M (2026) Human DRG glucocorticoid receptor profiling reveals targets for regionally delivered steroid analgesia. Cells 15: 223 (16 pages). doi: 10.3390/cells15030223 (°IF 5.2)

• Letizia M, Omar T, Weidner P, Jakob MO, Freise I, Krug SM, Löscher B-S, Rosati E, Obermayer B, Gamez-Belmonte R, Hecker J, Ziegler JF, Weixler B, Asbach P, Kunkel D, Stumvoll M, Miehle K, Becker C, Klose CSN, Glauben R, Beule D, Kühl AA, Conrad T, Tacke F, Wirtz S, Franke A, Sanders AD, Siegmund B, Weidinger C (2026) Characterization of intestinal immune responses in generalized human and murine lipodystrophy. J. Clin. Invest. (accepted 15.01.2026) (°IF 13.6)

• Günzel D, Lehmann M, Honigmann A (2026) Tight junction structure, assembly, and (dys)function. Nat. Rev. Mol. Cell. Biol. (accepted 12.01.2026) (°IF 90.2) (Review)

• Mousa SA*, Shaqura M* (*shared first authorship), Mohamed D, Hong X, Krug SM, Metwally EY, Assaf C, Treskatsch S, Schäfer M (2026) Tumor–macrophage–nerve interactions drive neuroinflammation and neuropathic pain in prostate cancer perineural invasion. Brain Behav. Immun. 133: 106280 (15 pages). doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2026.106280 (°IF 7.6)

• Nagarajan SK, Piontek J, Günzel D (2026) Chapter 7 - Structural and biophysical properties of tight junctions. Cell Physiology Source Book (5^th edn) Alvarez-Leefmans FJ, Delpire E, Kaneshiro ES, eds. Academic Press, 2026: 127-160. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-811114-7.00027-X (Book chapter)

• Deshpande D, Velleman L, Schmitz J, Forster PM, Schinke C, Boulekou S, Düsedau HP, Krug SM, Mertens T, Gao X, Figueiredo C, Jarick KJ, Plum T, Sterczyk N, Leclère PS, Helfrich S, Tappe-Theodor A, Kotsch K, Steffen J, Voehringer D, Duerr CU, Hauser AE, Artis D, Pitzer C, Dunay IR, Klose CSN (2025) Group 2 innate lymphoid cells regulate nociceptive and gait functions of the peripheral nervous system. Sci. Immunol. 10(111): eadp7092 (17 pages). doi: 10.1126/sciimmunol.adp7092 (°IF 16.3)

• Rosenthal R, Waesch A, Masete KV, Massarani AS, Schulzke JD, Hering NA (2025) The green tea component (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate protects against cytokine-induced epithelial barrier damage in intestinal epithelial cells. Front. Pharmacol. 16: 1559812 (12 pages) doi: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1559812 (°IF 4.8)

• Krug SM*, Lee IM*, Knobe L* (*shared first authorship), Hartmannsberger B, Atalla MS, Rittner HL, Fromm M (2025) Characterising epi-perineurial barrier function by microscale techniques including a miniaturised Ussing chamber. Acta Biomater. 199: 290-300. doi: 10.1016/j.actbio.2025.04.043 (°IF 9.6)