HCKH - PI Madeleine Bunders - Hamburg Center for Kidney Health

Laboratory for regenerative medicine and immunology

Madeleine Bunders

Madeleine Bunders

Mission Statement

"Deciphering organ-specific immune development to promote immune-mediated tissue regeneration of organs and host-defense responses against pathogens"

— Madeleine Bunders, MD/PhD

Team Members

Project Manager

Tanja Barkhausen, PhD

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Post Doc

Martin Baumdick, PhD

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Post Doc

Malte Borggrewe, PhD

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Open Positions

Jobs available

We are looking for highly motivated and ambitious postdocs, PhD students, master students, and student research assistants.

Post Doc

Markus Flosbach, PhD

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Technician

Heike Hildebrandt

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Research

Zoom

Recent studies by our group have shown that organ specific immune development in humans is a highly dynamic process. Furthermore, early in life immune responses are directed towards mediating tissue development. We demonstrated that memory CD4+ T cells in children regulate intestinal development. However, further skewing of tissue-regenerative immune responses can contribute to impaired tissue regeneration, inflammation and lack of control of infections. The group focuses on discovery of the mechanisms mediating communication between immune cells and tissue cells that regulate immune development and, when dysregulated, contribute to infectious and inflammatory diseases in children. To this end, we have developed in vitro organoid-immune cell models. These novel in vitro models mimic tissue in 3D and allow us to study interactions between human tissue and immune cells in healthy human development and diseases to identify targets to develop new medical strategies. These strategies help restore tissue homeostasis and promote healthy organ development.

Madeleine Bunders, MD/PhD

Head of the Division for Regenerative Medicine and Immunology (Heisenberg)

III. Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE)

Leibniz Institute of Virology (LIV), Hamburg
Martinistr. 52
20246 Hamburg, Germany

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CV

Current Position

since 2023

Head of the Division for Regenerative Medicine and Immunology (Heisenberg), III. Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf

University Training

1996 - 2004

Study of Human Medicine, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Academic qualifications

2013- 2020	PhD, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2004	MD, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Previous professional career

Clinical postgraduate education:

2015

Specialist in Pediatrics, Amsterdam University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Scientific postgraduate education:

2016 - 2021	Junior Group Leader, Department Virus Immunology, Leibniz Institute for Experimental Virology, Germany
2015 - 2020	Junior Group Leader, Department of Pediatrics, Amsterdam University Medical Centre, The Netherlands
2014 - 2015	Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Pediatrics, Amsterdam University Medical Centre, The Netherlands

Selected awards and honors

2013 - 2020	Ph.D. Award, Dutch Society for Pediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases
2006	Award for M.D.-Ph.D. trajectory with a specialization in Pediatrics, by the Dutch Research Council
2004	Exchange Student Award, Royal Dutch Academy for Sciences

Selected publications

1.	HLA-DPA102:01~B101:01HLA-DPA102:01~B101:01 is a risk haplotype for primary sclerosing cholangitis mediating activation of NKp44+ NK cells. Zecher BF, Ellinghaus D, Schloer S, Niehrs A, Padoan B, Baumdick ME, Yuki Y, Martin MP, Glow D, Schröder-Schwarz J, Niersch J, Brias S, Müller LM, Habermann R, Kretschmer P, Früh T, Dänekas J, Wehmeyer MH, Poch T, Sebode M; International PSC Study Group (IPSCSG); Ellinghaus E, Degenhardt F, Körner C, Hoelzemer A, Fehse B, Oldhafer KJ, Schumacher U, Sauter G, Carrington M, Franke A, Bunders MJ, Schramm C, Altfeld M. Gut. 2024 Jan 5;73(2):325-337.
2.	HLA-DP on Epithelial Cells Enables Tissue Damage by NKp44+ Natural Killer Cells in Ulcerative Colitis.⁺HLA-DP on Epithelial Cells Enables Tissue Damage by NKp44+ Natural Killer Cells in Ulcerative Colitis. Baumdick ME, Niehrs A, Degenhardt F, Schwerk M, Hinrichs O, Jordan-Paiz A, Padoan B, Wegner LHM, Schloer S, Zecher BF, Malsy J, Joshi VR, Illig C, Schröder-Schwarz J, Möller KJ; Hamburg Intestinal Tissue Study Group; Martin MP, Yuki Y, Ozawa M, Sauter J, Schmidt AH, Perez D, Giannou AD, Carrington M, Davis RS, Schumacher U, Sauter G, Huber S, Puelles VG, Melling N, Franke A; International Inflammatory Bowel Disease Genetics Consortium; Altfeld M, Bunders MJ. Gastroenterology. 2023 Oct;165(4):946-962.e13.
3.	Expanded ILC2s in human infant intestines promote tissue-growth. JMöller KJ, Wegner L, Malsy J, Baumdick ME, Borggrewe M, Jordan-Paiz A, Jung JM, Martrus G, Kretschmer P, Sagebiel AF, Schreurs R, Hagen SH, Burmester G, Clauditz TS, Pals ST, Boettcher M, Melling N, Sauter G, Tomuschat C, Königs I, Schumacher U, Altfeld M, Bernink JH, Perez D, Reinshagen K, Bunders MJ. Mucosal Immunol. 2023 Apr 28:S1933-0219(23)00030-2.
4.	KIR3DS1 directs NK cell-mediated protection against human adenovirus infections. Jung JM, Ching W, Baumdick ME, Hofmann-Sieber H, Bosse JB, Koyro T, Möller KJ, Wegner L, Niehrs A, Russu K, Ohms M, Zhang W, Ehrhardt A, Duisters K, Spierings E, Hölzemer A, Körner C, Jansen SA, Peine S, Königs I, Lütgehetmann M, Perez D, Reinshagen K, Lindemans CA, Altfeld M, Belderbos M, Dobner T, Bunders MJ. Science Immunology. 2021 Sep 17; 6(63).
5.	Kidney organoid systems for studies of immune-mediated kidney diseases: challenges and opportunities. Stein MC, Braun F, Krebs CF, Bunders MJ. Cell Tissue Res. 2021 Aug;385(2).
6.	Intestinal CD8+ T cell responses are abundantly induced early in human development but show impaired cytotoxic effector capacities. Schreurs RRCE, Sagebiel AF, Steinert FL, Highton AJ, Klarenbeek PL, Drewniak A, Bakx R, The SML, Ribeiro CMS, Perez D, Reinshagen K, Geijtenbeek TBH, van Goudoever JB, Bunders MJ. Mucosal Immunology. 2021 May 14(3).
7.	Tissue-resident Eomes(+)NK cells are the major innate lymphoid cell population in human infant intestine. Sagebiel AF, Steinert F, Lunemann S, Körner C, Schreurs RRCE, Altfeld M, Perez D, Reinshagen K, Bunders MJ. Nat Commun. 2019 Feb 28;10(1).
8.	Human Fetal TNF-α-Cytokine-Producing CD4(+) Effector Memory T Cells Promote Intestinal Development and Mediate Inflammation Early in Life. Schreurs RRCE, Baumdick ME, Sagebiel AF, Kaufmann M, Mokry M, Klarenbeek PL, Schaltenberg N, Steinert FL, van Rijn JM, Drewniak A, The SML, Bakx R, Derikx JPM, de Vries N, Corpeleijn WE, Pals ST, Gagliani N, Friese MA, Middendorp S, Nieuwenhuis EES, Reinshagen K, Geijtenbeek TBH, van Goudoever JB, Bunders MJ. Immunity. 2019 Feb 19;50(2).
9.	Fetal Metabolic Stress Disrupts Immune Homeostasis and Induces Proinflammatory Responses in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1- and Combination Antiretroviral Therapy-Exposed Infants. Schoeman JC, Moutloatse GP, Harms AC, Vreeken RJ, Scherpbier HJ, Van Leeuwen L, Kuijpers TW, Reinecke CJ, Berger R, Hankemeier T, Bunders MJ. J Infect Dis. 2017 Aug 15;216(4).
10.	Memory CD4+CCR5+ T cells are abundantly present in the gut of newborn infants to facilitate mother-to-child transmission of HIV1. Bunders MJ, van der Loos CM, Klarenbeek PL, van Hamme JL, Boer K, Wilde JCH, de Vries N, van Lier RAW, Kootstra N, Pals ST, Kuijpers TW. Blood. 2012 Nov 22 120(22).