AG Steiger

Stefanie Steiger is Privatdozentin (PD) in the Division of Nephrology at the LMU Hospital. She conducts translational research on the multifaceted physiologic roles of hyperuricemia in acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease with related complications. Specifically, the research of the Steiger group focuses on the anti-inflammatory, immunoregulatory, anti-oxidative and vasoactive actions of soluble uric acid; assessment of the role of hyperuricemia in sterile inflammation, diabetes, and infection; in vitro studies with patient cohorts and innovative in vivo mouse models of hyperuricemia; therapeutic approaches when and how to treat hyperuricemia. 

Qualifications

• German Habilitation (PD) in Experimental Medicine, Medical Faculty, LMU 2021
• PhD (Biomedical Science), Malaghan Institute of Medical Research / University of Wellington 2014
• Bioengineer, Martin-Luther University Halle/Wittenberg 2007

Biography

Stefanie Steiger received her degree as Bioengineer from the Martin-Luther-University of Halle/Wittenberg in 2007. After working as bioengineer at Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG in Biberach an der Riß, she went overseas to pursue a PhD in the scientific field of Arthritis & Inflammation at the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research / Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand, which was awarded in 2014.

Having gained five years of international research experience, Stefanie took on the opportunity to establish her own research group in the Division of Nephrology at the LMU Hospital, where she has the chance to perform high quality translational research in the field of kidney disease. In 2016, Stefanie secured a research grant from the German Research Foundation (DFG) as well as a junior research grant from the LMUexcellent initiative, with follow up grants in 2019.

In addition to her research activities, Stefanie routinely supervises MD and PhD doctoral students at the Division of Nephrology, and performs ‘Problem-based tutorials’ for MD students and runs various seminars on nephrology-related topics. In 2021, she has obtained her academic qualification in research and teaching.

Teaching

• MD students Problem-based learning tutorials, Medical Faculty
• PhD and MD students Seminars ‘Methods in experimental nephrology’
• PhD and MD students Seminars ‘Molecular mechanisms in kidney disease’
• PhD and MD students Seminars ‘Practical training of scientific management in nephrology’

Postgraduate supervision

• Previous: 2 international visiting scientists (France, Brazil)
• Current: 1 Postdoctoral fellow, 1 PhD student, and 6 MD students
• Future students will be welcomed in immunonephrology research

Research

• The actions of soluble uric acid on immune cell function, e.g. neutrophils, monocytes and macrophages, in vitro and in vivo
• Pathomechanisms of hyperuricemia in chronic kidney disease with its related complications, e.g. inflammation, infection, diabetes
• Crystal biology, e.g. gouty arthritis, acute urate nephropathy, granulomatous interstitial nephritis, nephrocalcinosis
• Identifying specific targets for uric acid and therapy regimes to prevent chronic kidney disease-related complications
• Novel murine models of ‘human-like’ hyperuricemia

Other activities

• Guest Editor, Journal Cells (macrophages, inflammation, kidney disease)
• Reviewer activity, International peer-reviewed scientific journals

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Sellmayr M, Hernandez Petzsche MR, Ma Q, Krüger N, Liapis H, Brink A, Lenz B, Angelotti ML, Gnemmi V, Kuppe C, Kim H, Bindels EMJ, Tajti F, Saez-Rodriguez J, Lech M, Kramann R, Romagnani P, Anders HJ, Steiger S. ‘Only hyperuricemia with crystalluria, but not asymptomatic hyperuricemia, drives progression of chronic kidney disease’, J Am Soc Nephrol. 2020; Dec;31(12):2773-2792. https://doi.org/10.1681/ASN.2020040523

Kim T, de Oliveira Silva Lautenschlager S, Ma Q, Eller K, Pollheimer MJ, Lazarin-Bidoia D, Vataru Nakamura C, Anders HJ, Steiger S. ‘Drug crystal-related gastrointestinal complications involve crystal-induced release of neutrophil and monocyte extracellular traps’, Cells. 2020; Nov 15;9(11):2481. https://doi: 10.3390/cells9112481

Ma Q, Honarpisheh M, Li C, Sellmayr M, Lindenmeyer M, Böhland C, Romagnani P, Anders HJ, Steiger S. ‘Soluble uric acid is an intrinsic negative regulator of monocyte activation in monosodium urate crystal-induced tissue inflammation’, J Immunol. 2020; 205(3):789-800. https://doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.2000319

Steiger S, Ma Q, and Anders HJ. ‘The case for evidence-based-medicine for the association between hyperuricemia and CKD’, Nat Rev Nephrol. 2020; Jul;16(7):422. https://doi: 10.1038/s41581-020-0288-3

Shi C, Kim T, Steiger S, Mulay SR, Klinkhammer BM, Bäuerle T, Melica ME, Romagnani P, Möckel D, Baues M, Yang L, Brouns S, Heemskerk JW, Braun A, Lammers T, Boor P, Anders HJ. ‘Crystal clots as therapeutic target in cholesterol crystal embolism’, Circ Res. 2020; Apr 10;126(8):e37-e52. https://doi: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.119.315625

Lautenschlager SOS, Kim T, Bidoia LD, Nakamura CV, Anders HJ, Steiger S. ‘Plasma proteins and platelets modulate neutrophil clearance of malaria-related hemozoin crystals’, Cells. 2019; Dec 30;9(1):93. https://doi: 10.3390/cells9010093

Steiger S, Grill JF, Ma Q, Bäuerle T, Jordan J, Smolle M, Böhland C, Lech M, Anders HJ. ‘Anti-TGFβ IgG elicits a dual effect on calcium oxalate crystallization and progressive nephrocalcinosis-related chronic kidney disease’, Front Immunol. 2018; Mar 29;9:619. https://doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.00619

Nakazawa D, Desai J, Steiger S, Müller S, Kumar Devarapu S, Mulay SR, Marschner J, Iwakura T, Anders HJ. ‘Activated platelets induce MLKL-driven neutrophil necroptosis and release of neutrophil extracellular traps in venous thrombosis‘, Cell Death Discovery. 2018; Jun 28;4:6. https://doi 10.1038/s41420-018-0073-2

Steiger S, Kumar SV, Honarpisheh M, Lorenz G, Günthner R, Romoli S, Gröbmayr R, Susanti HE, Potempa J, Koziel J, Lech M. ‘Immunomodulatory molecule IRAK-M balances macrophage polarization and determines macrophage responses during renal fibrosis’, J Immunol. 2017; Aug 15;199(4):1440-1452. https://doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1601982

Desai J, Steiger S, Anders HJ. ‘Molecular Pathophysiology of Gout’, Trends Mol Med. 2017; Aug;23(8):756-768. https://doi: 10.1016/j.molmed.2017.06.005

Publication of Stefanie Steiger PhD PD Pubmed