Prof. Dr. Oliver J. Müller

Contact:

University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein and
Kiel University
Klinik für Innere Medizin III

Email: oliver.mueller(at)uksh.de

Website

Research areas: novel therapies for cardiovascular diseases (heart failure, cardiomyopathies, peripheral artery disease, Marfan syndrome), cardio-oncology

Oliver J. Müller is DZHK Professor for Translational Cardiology at Kiel University and attending physician at the Dept. of Internal Medicine III at University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein. His work focuses on the identification of novel therapeutic targets and their translation into novel treatment approaches for acquired and hereditary cardiovascular diseases.

Research focus

Prof. Müller´s research focuses on the identification and validation of novel therapeutic targets for heart failure and cardiomyopathies as well as for vascular diseases. Understanding metabolic, inflammatory, and epigenetic mechanisms involved in cardiac remodeling upon hemodynamic challenges or cardiotoxic agents in oncology enable his group to develop future prophylactic or therapeutic strategies for distinct causes of heart failure. In order to overexpress or antagonize novel potential therapeutic targets, Prof. Müller´s group develops and utilizes optimized adeno-associated virus (AAV)-vectors for improved gene transfer to the heart and vascular system. These vectors might be versatile not only as a research tool but also as a delivery system for future clinical translation, e.g., for severe hereditary cardiomyopathies or vascular diseases such as the Marfan syndrome. As a clinical cardiologist and angiologist, Prof. Müller leads clinical trials translating promising preclinical findings into novel treatment modalities, e.g., stem cell therapy in peripheral vascular disease or anti-inflammatory approaches.

Major achievements and awards

    • Research Award “Benny & Co” of the German Muscular Dystrophy Foundation (2017)
    • Research Award German Marfan Foundation (2016)
    • Poster Award of the European Society of Cardiology (2014)
    • Research Award Benny & Co of the German Muscular Dystrophy Foundation (2013)
    • Franz-Maximilian-Groedel-Research Award of the German Society of Cardiology (2009)

    Key publications

    Müller OJ, Heckmann MB, Ding L, Rapti K, Rangrez AY, Gerken T, Christiansen N, Rennefahrt UEE, Witt H, Maldonado SG, Ternes P, Schwab DM, Ruf T, Hille S, Remes A, Jungmann A, Weis TM, Kreußer J, Gröne HJ, Backs J, Schatz P, Katus HA, Frey N. (2019) Comprehensive plasma and tissue profiling reveals systemic metabolic alterations in cardiac hypertrophy and failure. Cardiovasc Res. 115(8):1296-1305. doi: 10.1093/cvr/cvy274.

    Weberpals J, Jansen L, Müller OJ, Brenner H. (2018) Long-term heart-specific mortality among 347 476 breast cancer patients treated with radiotherapy or chemotherapy: a registry-based cohort study. Eur Heart J. 39(43):3896-3903. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehy167.

    Hu J, Dziumbla S, Lin J, Bibli SI, Zukunft S, de Mos J, Awwad K, Frömel T, Jungmann A, Devraj K, Cheng Z, Wang L, Fauser S, Eberhart CG, Sodhi A, Hammock BD, Liebner S, Müller OJ, Glaubitz C, Hammes HP, Popp R, Fleming I. (2017) Inhibition of soluble epoxide hydrolase prevents diabetic retinopathy. Inhibition of soluble epoxide hydrolase prevents diabetic retinopathy.Nature 552:248-252. doi: 10.1038/nature25013.

    Heckmann MB, Bauer R, Jungmann A, Winter L, Rapti K, Strucksberg KH, Clemen CS, Li Z, Schröder R, Katus HA, Müller OJ. (2016) AAV9-mediated gene transfer of desmin ameliorates cardiomyopathy in desmin-deficient mice. Gene Ther 23:673-679. doi: 10.1038/gt.2016.40.

    Werfel S, Jungmann A, Lehmann L, Ksienzyk J, Bekeredjian R, Kaya Z, Leuchs B, Nordheim A, Backs J, Engelhardt S, Katus HA, Müller OJ (2014) Rapid and highly efficient inducible cardiac gene knockout in adult mice using AAV-mediated expression of Cre recombinase. Cardiovasc Res 104: 15-23. doi: 10.1093/cvr/cvu174.

    Boon RA, Iekushi K, Lechner S, Seeger T, Fischer A, Heydt S, Kaluza D, Tréguer K, Carmona G, Bonauer A, Horrevoets AJ, Didier N, Girmatsion Z, Biliczki P, Ehrlich JR, Katus HA, Müller OJ, Potente M, Zeiher AM, Hermeking H, Dimmeler S (2013) MicroRNA-34a regulates cardiac ageing and function. Nature 495:107-110. doi: 10.1038/nature11919.

    Raake PWJ, Schlegel P, Ksienzyk J, Reinkober J, Barthelmes J, Schinkel S, Pleger S, Mier W, Haberkorn U, Katus HA, Koch WJ, Most P, Müller OJ (2013) AAV6.βARKct cardiac gene therapy ameliorates cardiac function and normalizes the catecholaminergic axis in a clinically relevant large animal heart failure model. Eur Heart J 34:1437-1447. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehr447.

    Goehringer C, Rutschow D, Bauer R, Schinkel S, Weichenhan D, Bekeredjian R, Straub V, Kleinschmidt JA, Katus HA, Müller OJ (2009) Prevention of cardiomyopathy in δ-sarcoglycan knock-out mice after systemic transfer of targeted adeno-associated viral vectors. Cardiovasc Res 82:404-410. doi: 10.1093/cvr/cvp061.

    Müller OJ, Leuchs B, Pleger ST, Grimm D, Franz WM, Katus HA, Kleinschmidt JA (2006) Improved cardiac gene transfer by transcriptional and transductional targeting of adeno-associated viral vectors. Cardiovasc Res 70:70-78.

    Müller OJ, Kaul F, Weitzman MD, Pasqualini R, Arap W, Kleinschmidt JA, Trepel M (2003) Random peptide libraries displayed on adeno-associated virus to select for targeted gene therapy vectors. Nat Biotech 21:1040-106.