Hampe

Genome-wide association studies

Studies of genetic risk factors of complex disorders, and specifically, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been widely employed in the study of complex disorders. Through close cooperation with German and international hospitals and research centers we have actively recruited large cohorts with complex disorders and use these for the identification of novel susceptibility genes for gallstone disease, alcoholic liver cirrhosis, colonic diverticular disease (diverticulosis, diverticulitis), colorectal cancer, hemochromatosis, inflammatory bowel disease and sarcoidosis.

Epigenetics of liver physiology and regeneration in health and disease

Epigenetics describes heritable changes in gene expression without changing the DNA sequence. We focus on changes in DNA methylation in combination with single nuclei RNA-Seq, snATAC-Seq, spatially resolved transcriptomics and Methyl-Seq to identify disease driving molecular pathways in liver diseases, such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), hepatocellular carcinoma and colorectal liver metastases. We have investigated DNA methylation to understand the progression and pathogenesis of NAFLD, and we have used DNA methylation as a molecular clock to track the epigenetic signature of obesity in human liver. We reported the first combined positional analysis of transcriptomes and methylomes across three micro-dissected zones (pericentral, intermediate and periportal) of human liver. In this study, we identified pronounced anti-correlated transcriptional and methylation gradients including a core of 271 genes controlling zonated metabolic and morphogen networks and observed a prominent porto-central gradient of DNA methylation at 46 transcription factor binding sites.

Role of genetic factors in development of FLD

Liver disease can be a result of several risk factors such as obesity, T2D, genetic factors, intestinal dysbiosis, excessive alcohol consumption etc. In our group we focus on genes, which have been identified by GWAS to be involved in many liver diseases, such as NAFLD, ALD, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. We employ genetically modified models to understand physiology, biochemistry and involved molecular pathways in disease development to develop diagnostic and therapeutical targets.

© CRTD/Dr. Katharina Vogt

Prof. Dr. Med. Jochen Hampe

Expertise

• Molecular mechanisms of liver physiology and regeneration in health and disease
• Modern functional, genetic, genomic and epigenomic approaches (GWAS, snRNA-Seq, snATAC-Seq, spatial transcriptomics, DNA-methylation and tissue-specific mouse KO-models)

Education

2018                       W3 Professor for Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology,
                                Technische Universität Dresden

2013                       W2 Professor for Gastroenterology, Technische Universität Dresden

2011                       Extraordinary Professor, University of Kiel

2005                       German Habilitation and venia legendi, Internal Medicine,
                                “Genetic risk factors for inflammatory bowel disease”, University of Kiel

1996                       MD thesis “DNA Fingerprinting for monitoring of the stability
                                of hybridoma cell lines” Charité Medical School, Berlin

Professional career

Since 2018             Director, Medical Department 1, University Hospital Dresden

2013-2018              Head, Gastroenterology & Hepatology unit, Medical Department 1,                                   University Hospital Dresden

2011-2013              Senior Consultant Gastroenterologist & Head,
                                 Interdisciplinary Endoscopy Unit, University Hospital Kiel

2007-2011              Consultant Gastroenterologist, University Hospital Kiel

2013                        German board certification Intensive Care Medicine

2013                        German Diabetology Certificate Diabetology (DDG)

2005                        German board certification Gastroenterology

2004                        German board certification Internal Medicine

1999 - 2013            Medical Department I, University Hospital Kiel

1998 - 1999             Post Doc Fellow, University of California San Diego, Ca, USA

1997 - 1998              Resident physician, Charite University Hospital, Berlin
 

Awards and scholarships

2007      Thannhauser Award, German Association of Gastroenterology

2004      Frerichs Award, German Association of Internal Medicine

2002      Ludwig-Heilmeyer Medal of the Association for Advances in Internal Medicine

1997      Julius Rosenbach Postdoctoral Scholarship

1993      DAAD Annual Scholarship for undergraduate Medical Studies in the UK

Selected publications

• Thangapandi VR, Knittelfelder O, Brosch M, Patsenker E, Vvedenskaya O, Buch S, Hinz S, Hendricks A, Nati M, Herrmann A, Berg T, Matz-Soja M, Huse K, Klipp E, Pauling J,10, Wodke J, Ackerman J, Aigner E, Datz C, von Schönfels W, Nehring S, Zeissig S, Röcken C, Dahl A, Chavakis T, Stickel F, Shevchenko A, Schafmayer C, Hampe J*, Subramanian P (*correspondence and shared senior authorship). Loss of hepatic Mboat7 leads to liver fibrosis. Gut 2020; gutjnl-2020-320853 epub
• Segovia-Miranda F, Morales-Navarrete H, Kücken M, Moser V, Seifert S, Repnik U, Rost F,, Brosch M,, Hendricks A, Hinz S, Röcken C, Lütjohann D, Kalaidzidis Y,, Schafmayer C, Brusch L, Hampe J*, Zerial M*. (shared senior authorship) Three-dimensional spatially resolved geometrical and functional models of human liver tissue reveal new aspects of NAFLD progression. Nature Medicine 2019; (12):1885-1893.
• Brosch M, Kattler K, Herrmann A, von Schönfels W, Nordström K, Seehofer D, Damm G, Becker T, Zeissig S, Nehring S, Reichel F, Moser V, Thangapandi RV, Stickel F, Baretton G, Röcken C, Muders M, Matz-Soja M, Krawczak M, Gasparoni G, Hartmann H, Dahl A, Schafmayer C, Walter J, Hampe J. Epigenomic map of human liver reveals principles of zonated morphogenic and metabolic control. Nature Communications 2018; 9(1):4150.
• Buch S, Stickel F, Trépo E, Way M, Herrmann A, Nischalke HD, Brosch M, Rosendahl J, Berg T, Ridinger M, Rietschel M, McQuillin A, Frank J, Kiefer F, Schreiber S, Lieb W, Soyka M, Semmo N, Aigner E, Datz C, Schmelz R, Brückner S, Zeissig S, Stephan AM, Wodarz N, Devière J, Clumeck N, Sarrazin C, Lammert F, Gustot T, Deltenre P, Völzke H, Lerch MM, Mayerle J, Eyer F, Schafmayer C, Cichon S, Nöthen MM, Nothnagel M, Ellinghaus D, Huse K, Franke A, Zopf S, Hellerbrand C, Moreno C, Franchimont D, Morgan MY, Hampe J. (2015), A genome-wide association study confirms PNPLA3 and identifies TM6SF2 and MBOAT7 as risk loci for alcohol-related cirrhosis, Nature Genetics 2015 47 1443-1448.
• Horvath S, Erhart W, Brosch M, Ammerpohl O, von Schonfels W, Ahrens M, Heits N, Bell J,T, Tsai P,C, Spector T,D, Deloukas P, Siebert R, Sipos B, Becker T, Rocken C, Schafmayer C, and Hampe J. Obesity accelerates epigenetic aging of human liver, Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014 111 15538-15543.
• Ahrens M, Ammerpohl O, von Schönfels W, Kolarova J, Bens S, Itzel T, Teufel A, Herrmann A, Brosch M, Hinrichsen H, Erhart W, Egberts J, Sipos B, Schreiber S, Häsler R, Stickel F, Becker T, Krawczak M, Röcken C, Siebert R, Schafmayer C, Hampe J. DNA methylation analysis in nonalcoholic Fatty liver disease suggests distinct disease-specific and remodeling signatures after bariatric surgery. Cell Metabolism 2013;18(2):296-302.
• Hampe J, Franke A, Rosenstiel P, Till A, Teuber M, Huse K, Albrecht M, Mayr G, De La Vega FM, Briggs J, Günther S, Prescott NJ, Onnie CM, Häsler R, Sipos B, Fölsch UR, Lengauer T, Platzer M, Mathew CG, Krawczak M, Schreiber S. A genome-wide association scan of non-synonymous SNPs identifies a susceptibility variant for Crohn disease in the autophagy-related 16-like (ATG16L1) gene. Nature Genetics 2007; 39(2):207.
• Buch S, Schafmayer C, Völzke H, Becker C, Franke A, von Eller-Eberstein H, Kluck C, Bässmann I, Brosch M, Lammert F, Miquel JF, Nervi F, Wittig M, Rosskopf D, Timm B, Höll C, Seeger M, ElSharawy A, Lu T, Egberts J, Fändrich F, Fölsch UR, Krawczak M, Schreiber S, Nürnberg P, Tepel J, Hampe J. A genome-wide association scan identifies the hepatic cholesterol transporter ABCG8 as a susceptibility factor for human gallstone disease. Nature Genetics 2007; 39(8):995-9.
• Hampe J, Grebe J, Nikolaus S, Solberg C, Croucher PJP, Mascheretti S, Jahnsen J, Moum B, Klump B, Krawczak M, Mirza MM, Fölsch UR, Vatn M, Schreiber S. NOD2 genotype and clinical course of Crohn’s disease. Lancet 2002: 359; 1661-1665
• Hampe J, Cuthbert A, Croucher PJP, Mirza MM, Mascheretti S, Fisher S, Frenzel H, King K, Hasselmeyer A, MacPherson AJS, Bridger S, van Deventer S, Forbes A, Nikolaus S, Lennard-Jones JE, Foelsch UR, Krawczak M, Lewis C, Schreiber S, Mathew CG. An insertion mutation in the NOD2 gene predisposes to Crohn’s Disease in the German and British populations. Lancet 2001; 357: 1925-1928

Extramural funding by German Research Council (DFG), German Federal Ministry for Research and Education (BmBF), German Cancer Fund (Deutsche Krebshilfe), European Union, Crohn’s and Colitis foundation of America.

Group Leader

Prof. Dr. Med. Jochen Hampe

Tel.: +49 (0) 351 458-5643

Members

Scientific Project Coordinator

Dr. Juliane Heisig

Tel.: +49 (0) 351 458-11896

Technicians

Sylvia Lehmann

Tel.: +49 (0) 351 458-4684

Luise Obermann

Tel.: +49 (0) 351 458-4684

Postdocs

Dr. Mario Brosch

Tel.: +49 (0) 351 458-4683

Veera Raghavan Thangapandi

Tel.: +49 (0) 351 458-19909

Predocs

Raksha Ganesh

Tel.: +49 (0) 351 458-14388

Natalia Wulff

Tel.: +49 (0) 351 458-14684

Jiaqi Zhang

Tel.: +49 (0) 351 458-14388

Bioinformatician

Alexander Hermann

We are always looking for enthusiastic people. Please send your CV and tell us why do you want to join us.