Wiebke Arlt

BIOGRAPHY

ACADEMIC POSITIONS:
• Professor of Medicine
• Head, Centre for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism (CEDAM)

EDUCATION:
• BA University of Cologne (Germany)
• MD University of Cologne (Germany)
• DSc University of Würzburg (Germany)

MEMBERSHIPS:
• Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences (UK)
• Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (UK)
• Member of the Society for Endocrinology (UK)
• Member of the European Society of Endocrinology (ESE)
• Member of the Endocrine Society (USA)
• Member of the European Network for the Study of Adrenal Tumours (ENSAT)
• Member of the UK & Ireland Neuro-Endocrine Tumour Society (UKINETS)

RESEARCH INTERESTS:
The Arlt lab focuses on the pre-receptor regulation of androgen synthesis and action, with a specific emphasis on exploring the role of the adrenal sex steroid precursor dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). We are systematically exploring systemic and tissue-specific mechanisms underlying androgen excess and deficiency, including the role of co-factors in the regulation of sex steroid synthesis. This has led to the identification of novel steroidogenic disorders, including the novel congenital adrenal hyperplasia variant P450 oxoidoreductase deficiency, which is uniquely associated with disordered sex development (DSD) in both 46,XY and 46,XX individuals, thereby illustrating a novel pathway in human androgen biosynthesis(Arlt et al. Lancet 2004). We identified PAPSS2 deficiency as a cause of impaired DHEA sulfation (Noordam et al. N Engl J Med 2009). We also systematically employ systems medicine approaches to explore the steroid metabolome to identify diagnostic biomarkers for stratified therapy. We recently developed a novel steroid metabolomics approach for the detection of malignancy in adrenococrtical tumours that is currently being implemented in routine clinical practice. Primary translational targets of our work include adrenal and gonadal disorders including adrenal tumours, congenital adrenal hyperplasia and the polycystic ovary syndrome, the leading cause of female infertility and forerunner of the metabolic syndrome.

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