Metabolic Activation of Fibroblasts in Obesity and Related Disorders

Prof. Dr. Jörn M. Schattenberg

• Dr. Jörn M. Schattenberg is a Professor of Medicine and Director of the Department of Medicine II at Saarland University Medical Center in Homburg and the University of the Saarland in Germany.
• Dr. Schattenberg completed his post-doctoral training at Albert-Einstein College of Medicine in New York, focusing on signaling pathways involved in acute and chronic liver injury, particularly in metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD).
• He is board-certified in Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology & Hepatology, and Infectious Disease.
• His research specializes in translational sciences and clinical trials in Hepatology, with a focus on new technologies and approaches for the prevention, screening, and treatment of metabolic liver disease.
• Dr. Schattenberg is involved in multinational, EU-funded research consortia exploring biomarkers and novel treatment methods for liver diseases.
• He is a member of the Policy, Public Health, and Advocacy Committee of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL).
• He serves on the Editorial Boards of “Hepatology” and “Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics” and is an Associate Editor for “JHEP Reports.”

Watch the replay

Dr. Diana J. Leeming

• Dr. Diana Julie Leeming is the Senior Director of Fibrosis, Hepatic, and Pulmonary Research at Nordic Bioscience.
• She joined Nordic Bioscience in 2004 and assumed the role of Director of Fibrosis in 2010, later being promoted to Senior Director in 2024.
• Dr. Leeming focuses on developing serologically assessed markers to evaluate extracellular matrix remodeling in patients with pulmonary or hepatic fibrosis, aiding in diagnosis and pharmacodynamic evaluation.
• She is a principal inventor of the PRO-C3 assay, a fibrogenesis marker utilized in multiple clinical trial studies.
• Dr. Leeming has authored over 280 peer-reviewed publications, demonstrating her extensive contributions to the field.
• Her H-index is 61, her I10-index is 174, and her research has garnered over 11,825 citations as of March 2024.

Scientific topics

We will explore key aspects of fibroblast activity in metabolic health, starting with the metabolic activation and deactivation of fibroblasts in MAFLD (Metabolic Associated Fatty Liver Disease). It highlights the weight-dependent factors influencing these processes and the impact of weight loss on fibroblast behavior in MAFLD.

The discussion then moves to the metabolic activation of extracellular matrix (ECM) production by fibroblasts and its effects on heart, liver, and kidney diseases. Finally, it addresses the potential benefits of pharmacological interventions in modulating fibroblast activation, offering therapeutic possibilities for patients with these conditions.

Watch the replay

Dr. Morten Karsdal

• Dr. Morten Karsdal joined Nordic Bioscience in 2001 and became CEO in June 2010, leading the company to significant advancements in biomarker development and disease biology.
• Dr. Karsdal is an honorary professor of inflammation research at the University of Southern Denmark, where he continues to supervise PhD students, fostering the next generation of researchers.
• Dr. Karsdal chairs the Extracellular Matrix Pharmacology Congress, an important forum for advancing drug development by focusing on the extracellular matrix (ECM) as a key factor in most chronic diseases. He is renowned for his deep expertise in fibrosis, rheumatology (including rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis), diabetes, and other chronic conditions, particularly in relation to ECM and biomarker research.
• Dr. Karsdal has led the development of FDA-approved and supported molecular diagnostics, as well as more than 100 commercialized biomarker assays, including ELISA assays and high precision automated platforms.
• He has extensive experience in clinical trial design and the clinical application of biochemical markers, often serving as a consultant to major pharmaceutical companies for the use of serological biomarkers in clinical trials.
• In 2016, he and his research team authored the first edition of “Biochemistry of Collagens, Laminins and Elastin,” published by Elsevier Science. The book, now in its 3rd edition as of 2023, is a key resource on collagens and structural proteins, with a focus on their applications in chronic diseases.