Frank Buttgereit MD

Dr. Buttgereit has expertise in the treatment of a wide variety of musculoskeletal and rheumatic diseases including osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, myositis and different forms of vasculitis. These diseases are also within his clinical research focus. His basic science research interests include glucocorticoid therapy, bioenergetics of immune functions, osteoblast research, COX 2-selective inhibitors and cellular activation mechanisms in musculoskeletal diseases. Dr. Buttgereit is internationally recognized for his work on mechanisms of glucocorticoid actions and on bioenergetics of immune functions. The latter issue focuses on questions how energy (namely ATP) production and consumption is relevant for the functioning of important immune cells such as lymphocytes or monocytes.

This is of special interest to be considered under conditions such as in the arthritic joint or in fracture healing. He has been acting as principal investigator in a variety of clinical studies on effects of anti-inflammatory agents in patients with rheumatic disease. Research interests include: investigation of the mechanisms of genomic and non-genomic glucocorticoid effects, quantitation and regulation of energy production and consumption in immune cells such as lymphocytes and monocytes, maintenance of cellular functioning under conditions such as arthritis or fracture healing. His primary focus has been the use of immune cells, but he and members of his research groups in Berlin also work with osteoblastic cell lines and human osteoblasts.