Clinical Rheumatology

Prof. Dr. med., MHBA
Gerhard Krönke

Current position
Medical Director of the Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology and Appointed Professor (W3) of Internal Medicine, Charité Berlin

Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Medical Department, Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology
Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany

ORCID ORCID-ID: 0000-0002-7566-4325

Stages Periods and Details

• Degree programme Master of Health and Business Administration (MHBA), 2015-2017, Friedrich-Alexander Universität (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany
• Medical School, 1996 – 2002, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
• Doctorate 10.01.2002, Bernd R. Binder, MD thesis (Dr. med.-univ.), Medical University of Vienna, Austria
• Stages of academic/professional career 2023
  Medical Director of the Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology and Appointed Professor (W3) of Internal Medicine, Charité Berlin
• 2018              Board Certification (Facharzt), Rheumatology
• 2016-2023     W2 Professor of Translational Immunology, FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg
• 2014              Habilitation, UKER, FAU (Internal Medicine, Prof. Georg Schett)
• s2012-2023   Senior physician, Department of Medicine 3, Rheumatology and Immunology, UKER, FAU
• 2012 – 2015   Clinical training in Rheumatology, Department of Medicine 3, Rheumatology and Immunology, UKER, FAU
• 2012              Board Certification (Facharzt), Internal Medicine
• Since 2009    Group Leader, Nikolaus-Fiebiger Center of Molecular Medicine, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg
• 2006 – 2012   Clinical training in Internal medicine and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine 3, Rheumatology and Immunology, UKER, FAU
• 2004 – 2006   Post Doc, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
• 2002 – 2004   PostDoc, Medical University of Vienna, Department of Vascular Biology, Vienna, Austria

Activites in the Research System

• since 2019      Spokesperson of the DFG Research Unit FOR2886 / PANDORA ( Pathways controlling Autoimmunity and Onset of inflammation in Rheumatoid Arthritis)
• 2019-2022      Spokesperson of the Emerging Field Initiative (EFI), FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, MIRACLE (MR-based Immune-metabolic Redefinition of Arthritis and MusCuloskeletaL DisEase)
• 2020-2022      Member of the scientific committees of the annual meetings of the European League Against Rheumatism
• 2016-2022      Member of the ELAN Commission (Erlangener Leistungsbezogene Nachwuchsförderung) at the FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg
• Associate Editor at RMD Open, peer reviewing activity for international journals including Nature, Nature Medicine, Nature Immunology, Immunity, PNAS, The Journal of Clinical Investigation, Nature Reviews Immunology, Nature Communications, The Journal of Experimental Medicine, Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, Arthritis and Rheumatology as well as for funding agencies including the German Research foundation (DFG), Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR), Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), Jubiläumsfonds der Oesterreichische Nationalbank and the Austrian Wissenschaftsfonds (FWF).

Supervision of Researchers in Early Career Phases

Supervision of MD theses

• 2018 – 2022    Alexander Weber: “Analysis of the IL-17R, IL-22R and GM-CSFR surface expression on CD19+ and CD19- plasmablasts and their importance in patients with rheumatoid arthritis”
• 2017 – 2021    Fenja Schröder: “Metabolic control of macrophage activation”
• 2016 – 2020    Philipp Amm: “Intestinal barrier dysfunction in patients with SLE”
• 2016 – 2019    Kim Fischer: “The differential role of monocytes and macrophages in inflammatory joint diseases”
• 2016 – 2019    Tobias Fillep: “Influence of eosinophilic granulocytes and eosinophils
• Granulocyte-generated lipid oxidation products on hemostasis”
• 2014 – 2019    Fritz Hohmann: “IFN signature in SLE patients”
• 2013 – 2017    Konrad Haberland: “Eosinophil granulocytes are not essential for the maintenance of plasma cells in bone marrow”
• 2010 – 2013    Laura Donhauser: “ The role of PPARβ/δ in bone metabolism and evaluation of the therapeutic potential of the PPARβ/δ ligand GW501516 for the treatment of ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis”
• 2009 – 2012    Arnd Kleyer: “The role of the nuclear receptor LXRs during bone homeostasis”
• 2008 – 2012    Stefan Uderhardt: “Molecular regulation of bone remodeling during inflammatory arthritis”

Supervision of PhD theses

• 2016 – 2021    Maria Faas: “The inflammation-modulating effect of the IL-33 alarmin during tissue damage.”
• 2015 – 2022    Martin Stenzel: “12/15-lipoxygenase and its role in anti-tumor immunity.”
• 2014 – 2019    Stephan Culemann: “Dissecting the ontogeny and role of synovial macrophages.”
• 2010 – 2017    René Pfeifle: “The role of the IL-23/Th17 axis during the regulation of antibody glycosylation that controls autoimmune-induced arthritis.”
• 2010 – 2014    Natacha Ipseiz: “The role of the nuclear receptor Nr4a as mediator of the anti-inflammatory effects of apoptotic cells.”
• 2009 – 2016    Tobias Rothe: “The role of the lipid oxidizing enzyme 12/15-LO as regulator of dendritic cell maturation and function.”
• 2008 – 2013    Carina Scholtysek: “The role of the nuclear receptor PPARbeta in the regulation of Wnt-signlling and bone homeostasis.”

Scientific Results

Category A

1. Mackensen A*, Müller F*, Mougiakakos D*, Böltz S, Wilhelm A, Aigner M, Völkl S, Simon D, Kleyer A, Munoz L, Kretschmann S, Kharboutli S, Gary R, Reimann H, Rösler W, Uderhardt S, Bang H, Herrmann M, Ekici AB, Buettner C, Habenicht KM, Winkler TH, Krönke G*, Schett G*. (2022). Anti-CD19 CAR T cell therapy for refractory systemic lupus erythematosus. Nat Med. 28(10):2124-2132. doi:10.1038/s41591-022-02017-5. *equally contributed
2. Faas M, Ipseiz N, Ackermann J, Culemann S, Grüneboom A, Schröder F, Rothe T, Scholtysek C, Eberhardt M, Böttcher M, Kirchner P, Stoll C, Ekici AB, Fuchs M, Kunz M, Weigmann B, Wirtz S, Lang R, Hofmann J, Vera J, Voehringer D, Michelucci A, Mougiakakos D, Uderhardt S, Schett G, Krönke G. (2021). IL-33- induced metabolic reprogramming controls the differentiation of alternatively activated macrophages and the resolution of inflammation. 54(11):2531-2546.e5. doi:10.1016/j.immuni.2021.09.010.
3. Mougiakakos D*, Krönke G*, X, Völkl S, Kretschmann S, Aigner M, Kharboutli S, Böltz S, Manger B, Mackensen A, Schett G (2021). CD19-Targeted CAR T Cells in Refractory Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. N Engl J Med.385(6):567-569.doi: 10.1056/NEJMc2107725. *equally contributed
4. Culemann S, Grüneboom A, Nicolás-Ávila JA, Weidner D, Lämmle K, Rothe T, Quintana J, Kirchner P, Krljanac B, Eberhardt M, Ferrazzi F, Kretzschmar E, Schicht M, Fischer K, Gelse K, Faas M, Pfeifle R, Ackermann JA, Pachowsky M, Renner N, Simon D, Haseloff RF, Ekici AB, Bäuerle T, Blasig I, Vera J, Voehringer D, Kleyer A, Paulsen F, Schett G, Hidalgo A, Krönke G. (2019). Locally renewing resident synovial macrophage provide a protective barrier for the joint. Nature. 572(7771):670-675. doi: 10.1038/s41586-019-1471-1.
5. Uderhardt S, Ackermann JA, Fillep T, Hammond VJ, Willeit J, Santer P, Mayr M, Biburger M, Miller M, Zellner KR, Stark K, Zarbock A, Rossaint J, Schubert I, Mielenz D, Dietel B, Raaz-Schrauder, Ay C, Gremmel T, Thaler J, Heim C, Herrmann M, Collins PW, Schabbauer G, Mackman N, Voehringer D, Nadler JL, Lee JJ, Massberg S, Rauh M, Kiechl S, Schett G, O’Donnell VB, Krönke G. (2017). Enzymatic lipid oxidation by eosinophils propagates coagulation, hemostasis, and thrombotic disease. J Exp Med. 214(7):2121-2138. Doi: 10.1084/jem.20161070.
6. Pfeifle R, Rothe T, Ipseiz N, Scherer HU, Culemann S, Harre U, Ackermann JA, Seefried M, Kleyer A, Uderhardt S, Haugg B, Hueber AJ, Daum P, Heidkamp GF, Ge C, Böhm S, Lux A, Schuh W, Magorivska I, Nandakumar KS, Lönnblom E, Becker C, Dudziak D, Wuhrer M, Rombouts Y, Koeleman CA, Toes R, Winkler TH, Holmdahl R, Herrmann M, Blüml S, Nimmerjahn F, Schett G, Krönke G. (2017). Regulation of autoantibody activity by the IL-23-T_H17 axis determines the onset of autoimmune disease. Nat Immunol. (1):104-113. doi: 10.1038/ni.3579.
7. Rothe T, Gruber F, Uderhardt S, Ipseiz N, Rössner S, Oskolkova O, Blüml S, Leitinger N, Bicker W, Bochkov VN, Yamamoto M, Steinkasserer A, Schett G, Zinser E, Krönke G. (2015). 12/15-Lipoxygenase-mediated enzymatic lipid oxidation regulates DC maturation and function. J Clin Invest. 125(5):1944-54.
8. Ipseiz N, Uderhardt S, Scholtysek C, Steffen M, Schabbauer G, Bozec A, Schett G, Krönke G. (2014). The nuclear receptor Nr4a1 mediates anti-inflammatory effects of apoptotic cells. J Immunol. 192(10):4852-8. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1303377.
9. Scholtysek C, Katzenbeisser J, Fu H, Uderhardt S, Ipseiz N, Stoll C, Zaiss MM, Stock M, Donhauser L, Böhm C, Kleyer A, Hess A, Engelke K, David JP, Djouad F, Tuckermann JP, Desvergne B, Schett G, Krönke G. (2013). PPARß/ δ governs Wnt signaling and bone turnover. Nat Med. (5):608-13. doi: 10.1038/nm.3146.
10. Uderhardt S, Herrmann M, Oskolkova OV, Aschermann S, Bicker W, Ipseiz N, Sarter K, Frey B, Rothe T, Voll RE, Nimmerjahn F, Bochkov VN, Schett G, Krönke G. (2012). 12/15-lipoxygenase orchestrates the clearance of apoptotic cells and maintains immunologic tolerance. Immunity. 36(5):834-46. doi: 10.1016/j.immuni.2012.03.010.

Category B

• 2017    Patent: Modular implant for functional joint surfaces (DE102017124483.2); registration date 10/19/2017.

Academic Distinctions

• 2020    ERC Consolidator grant
• 2018    The Mosaic of Autoimmunity (MAI) Award, 11^th International Congress on Autoimmunity, Lisbon, Portugal
• 2018    Theodor Naegeli Preis, Theodor Naegeli Stiftung
• 2017    Langener Wissenschaftspreis, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut
• 2014    ERC starting grant
• 2013    Georg Köhler Preis, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Immunologie
• 2005    Young physiologist scholarship, British Physiological Society
• 2005    Max Kade Stiftung Postdoctoral Stipendium
• 2003    New Investigator Award at the 4^th Annual Conference on Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, Washington, DC