Clinical Physiology, Charité Berlin

Medizinische Klinik für Gastroenterologie, Infektiologie und Rheumatologie (einschl. Arbeitsbereich Ernährungsmedizin) CBF
Clinical Physiology / Nutritional Medicine
Head: Prof. Dr. Jörg D. Schulzke

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   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)

Research topics

Clinical Physiology

External collaborations
(*PhD) (°MD) (GRK)

Staff Doctoral students (*PhD) (°MD) (GRK)

Tight junctions and their proteins
- Claudin family
- TAMP family
- Angulin family
DFG Research Training Group
"TJ-Train" GRK 2318
(Progenitor: DFG Research Unit 721)
Jörg Schulzke,
Michael Fromm,
Dorothee Günzel,
Susanne Krug,
Luca Meoli,
Jörg Piontek,
Rita Rosenthal Surgery: Nina Hering
Physiology, Univ. Kiel: Susanne Milatz
Vet. Physiology FU Berlin: Salah Amasheh

Molecular structure
- Molec. structure of single claudins
- Molec. arrangement of heteromers
- Molec. structure of tricellulin Jörg Piontek,
Dorothee Günzel,
Susanne Krug, Santhosh Nagarajan Joy Weber* (A2), Ayk Waldow* (A2)
Physiology, Univ. Kiel: Susanne Milatz

Functional properties
- Barriers and ion channels
- Water channels
- Tricellular tight junction
Michael Fromm,
Dorothee Günzel,
Susanne Krug,
Rita Rosenthal Alina Handreg* (A3),
Fabian Martinez-Perafan* (A3)

Diseases and pathologies
- Inflammatory bowel diseases
- Cytokines & interleukins
- Epithelial cancers
DFG Transregio-SFB TRR 241
Jörg Schulzke,
Roland Bücker,
Susanne Krug Amélie Moll* (C2),
Janna Bleck* (B06) Gastroenterology: Michael Schumann, Christian Bojarski, Hans-Jörg Epple, Valerie Masete* (C4), Hannah Lutz° (C4)

- Pathogens and TJ
BMBF Consortium "PAC-CAMPY"
Jörg Schulzke,
Roland Bücker,
Dorothee Günzel Martina Schneemann* (C1) Gastroenterology: Hans-Jörg Epple, Surgery: Nina Hering

- Diets and nutrients
- Celiac disease Jörg Schulzke,
Rita Rosenthal,
Roland Bücker Gastroenterology: Michael Schumann
Pathol.+Gastroent.: Subhakankha (Victor) Manna* (B2)

- Claudins of the kidney
- FHHNC, - Ca²⁺, - Mg²⁺ Dorothee Günzel,
Susanne Krug,
Luca Meoli Pediatric Nephrology: Dominik Müller, Tilman Breiderhoff,
Physiology, Univ. Kiel: Susanne Milatz

- Pain reduction in peripheral nerve
DFG Clinical Research Unit
KFO 5001
Susanne Krug Lukas Knobe* (P7) Anesthesiology Würzburg: Heike Rittner

Mechanisms
- Macromolecule permeation
- Drug absorption enhancers Susanne Krug,
Michael Fromm,
Rita Rosenthal

Topics except TJ
- Epithelial Na⁺ channel (ENaC)
- Physiology of the eye Jörg Schulzke,
Michael Fromm,
Rita Rosenthal Martina Schneemann* (C1),

Methods
- Impedance spectroscopy
- Electron microscopy
- Organoid culture Dorothee Günzel,
Susanne Krug,
Jörg Piontek,
In-Fah Lee Evgeniya Kochina* (A1), Saeed Khomeijani Farahani* (A1),
Anatomy: Sebastian Bachmann
FMP: Roman Shobik* (A4), Rozemarijn van der Veen* (A4)

History

The Institute of Clinical Physiology was founded in 1969 and chaired until 1995 by Klaus Hierholzer († 2007), followed by Michael Wiederholt. (1995-2002) and Michael Fromm (2002-2014, now appointed as Charité seniorprofessor).
Retired professors are Ulrich Hegel and Hans Ebel.
Present head of Clinical Physiology / Nutritional Medicine is Jörg D.Schulzke.

Address

The main building of the Campus Benjamin Franklin (CBF)
of the Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin pics

Address: Clinical Physiology / Nutritional Medicine
Charité - Universitäsmedizin Berlin
Campus Benjamin Franklin
Hindenburgdamm 30
12203 Berlin (Steglitz), Germany

Google Maps

Public transportation: Subway (U-Bahn "U9") or local train (S-Bahn "S1")
to "Rathaus Steglitz", then change for bus 285 or M85,
exit bus stop "Universitätsklinikum Benjamin Franklin" Local map
Fares: Single ticket for 2 hrs, unlimited changes: "AB" 2.80 Euro
or, ONLY bus 285 or M85 from Rathaus Steglitz: "Kurzstrecke" 1.70 Euro

Head:
Professor Dr. med. Jörg D. Schulzke
joerg.schulzke@charite.de

Phone: +49 30 450-514531

FAX: +49 30 450-514962

Representative of the German Research Foundation
(DFG) at the Charité, Prof. Dr. Michael Fromm:
Hints and advice

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