HCKH - PI Nicola Tomas - Hamburg Center for Kidney Health

Laboratory for antigen-specific disease targeting

Nicola Tomas
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- TEAM MEMBERS
- RESEARCH
- CV
- PUBLICATIONS
- FUNDING

Nicola Tomas

Mission Statement

“Understanding antibody-mediated kidney disease to pave the way for antigen-specific future treatments”

— Nicola M. Tomas, MD

Team Members

Post-Doc

Jana Abt, MD

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Technican

Silke Dehde

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Clinician Scientist

Felicitas Hengel, MD

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PhD student

Sarah Köllner

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Technican

Renke Lucas

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Post-Doc

Ming Huang, PhD

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Post-Doc

Larissa Seifert, PhD

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Research

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Membranous nephropathy (MN) is an antibody-mediated autoimmune disease and the most common cause of a nephrotic syndrome in adults. The discoveries of phospholipase A2 receptor 1 (PLA2R1) and thrombospondin type-1 domain-containing 7A (THSD7A) as autoantigens in patients with MN have revolutionized both the diagnosis and monitoring of affected patients and the pathophysiologic understanding of this disease. The group of Dr. Nicola M. Tomas was majorly involved in the identification of THSD7A as an antigen in patients with MN. The group now focuses on identification of the pathogenic signaling programs in MN and aims to develop novel, antigen-specific treatments.

Nicola M. Tomas, MD

III. Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) Martinistr. 52
20246 Hamburg, Germany

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CV

Current position

since 2021	Senior Physician, III. Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Prof. Dr. Tobias B. Huber
since 2019	Junior group leader of the Emmy Noether Research Group “Molecular Mechanisms of Membranous Nephropathy”
since 2016	Principal Investigator CRC 1192 Project B2

University training

2005 – 2011

Study of Medicine, University of Witten/Herdecke, Germany (final exam: sehr gut)

Academic qualifications

2013 – 2014	Postdoctoral Fellow, Institute of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, University of Nice/Sophia Antipolis, France; Prof. Dr. Gérard Lambeau
2008 – 2011	M.D. thesis, Institute of Immunology and Experimental Oncology, University of Witten/Herdecke; docotral adviser: Prof. Dr. Dr. Kurt S. Zänker (summa cum laude)

Previous professional career

Clinical postgraduate education:

2020	Medical Specialist in Internal Medicine and Nephrology
2012 – 2021	Attending Physician, III. Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Prof. Dr. Tobias B. Huber

Scientific postgraduate education:

2015 – 2018	Clinician Scientist Program, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf
2013 – 2015	Gerok Position at the Clinical Research Unit 228 (KFO 228) “Immunopathogenesis and Therapy of Glomerulonephritis”

Selected awards and honors

2017

Dr. Martini-Prize for the discovery that anti-THSD7A antibodies cause membranous nephropathy

Selected publications

1.	The classical pathway triggers pathogenic complement activation in membranous nephropathy. Seifert L, Zahner G, Meyer-Schwesinger C, Hickstein N, Dehde S, Wulf S, Köllner SMS, Lucas R, Kylies D, Froembling S, Zielinski S, Kretz O, Borodovsky A, Biniaminov S, Wang Y, Cheng H, Koch-Nolte F, Zipfel PF, Hopfer H, Puelles VG, Panzer U, Huber TB, Wiech T, Tomas NM. Nat Commun. 2023 Jan 28; 14(1):473.
2.	Podocyte expression of human phospholipase A2 receptor 1 causes immune-mediated membranous nephropathy in mice. Tomas NM, Dehde S, Meyer-Schwesinger C, Huang M, Hermans-Borgmeyer I, Maybaum J, Lucas R, von der Heide JL, Kretz O, Köllner S, Seifert L, Huber TB, Zahner G. Kidney Int. 2022 Sep 30:S0085-2538(22)00804-3.
3.	A novel mouse model of phospholipase A2 receptor 1-associated membranous nephropathy mimics podocyte injury in patients. Meyer-Schwesinger C, Tomas NM, Dehde S, Seifert L, Hermans-Borgmeyer I, Wiech T, Koch-Nolte F, Huber TB, Zahner G. Kidney Int. 2020 May;97(5):913-919.
4.	The Most N-Terminal Region of THSD7A Is the Predominant Target for Autoimmunity in THSD7A-Associated Membranous Nephropathy. Seifert L, Hoxha E, Eichhoff AM, Zahner G, Dehde S, Reinhard L, Koch-Nolte F, Stahl RAK, Tomas NM. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2018 May;29(5):1536-1548.
5.	A Heterologous Model of Thrombospondin Type 1 Domain-Containing 7A-Associated Membranous Nephropathy. Tomas NM, Meyer-Schwesinger C, von Spiegel H, Kotb AM, Zahner G, Hoxha E, Helmchen U, Endlich N, Koch-Nolte F, Stahl RAK. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2017 Nov;28(11):3262-3277.
6.	Autoantibodies against thrombospondin type 1 domain-containing 7A induce membranous nephropathy. Tomas NM, Hoxha E, Reinicke AT, Fester L, Helmchen U, Gerth J, Bachmann F, Budde K, Koch-Nolte F, Zahner G, Rune G, Lambeau G, Meyer-Schwesinger C, Stahl RA. J Clin Invest. 2016 Jul 1;126(7):2519-32. doi: 10.1172/JCI85265. Epub 2016 May 23.PMID: 27214550
7.	A Mechanism for Cancer-Associated Membranous Nephropathy. Hoxha E, Wiech T, Stahl PR, Zahner G, Tomas NM, Meyer-Schwesinger C, Wenzel U, Janneck M, Steinmetz OM, Panzer U, Harendza S, Stahl RA. N Engl J Med. 2016 May 19;374(20):1995-6.
8.	Thrombospondin type-1 domain-containing 7A in idiopathic membranous nephropathy. Tomas NM, Beck LH Jr, Meyer-Schwesinger C, Seitz-Polski B, Ma H, Zahner G, Dolla G, Hoxha E, Helmchen U, Dabert-Gay AS, Debayle D, Merchant M, Klein J, Salant DJ, Stahl RAK, Lambeau G. N Engl J Med. 2014 Dec 11;371(24):2277-2287.