Professor Högler’s research focusses on mechanism of rare diseases (bed-benchside-bed) and improved diagnosis and new treatments for children with bone and endocrine disorders, as well as prevention of disease.
Laboratory bone research
Wolfgang’s group is investigating cellular mechanisms and the structural bone phenotype of disorders affecting bone fragility and mineralisation. His group receives blood/skin/bone samples of individuals with variants of unknown significance in interesting genes. Using a multiomics approach, the group assesses molecular genetics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and how mutated proteins influence cell biology. From molecular biology to bioinformatics, the group searches for possible targets for (repurposed) drugs. The research lab curates the ALPL gene variant database, and assesses the residual function of alkaline phosphatase in specific ALPL mutations, leading to reclassification of variants as pathogenic or benign.
Clinical bone research
The group also assesses novel diagnostic tools (diagnostic, metabolic, imaging) for rare and common bone, growth and endocrine disorders. Also, the characterization of rare diseases and their translational investigation is a main focus of ongoing work. Through multicentre treatment studies, the Högler group offers children and young people with rare diseases promising new treatments in clinical trials.
Vitamin D and public health
One main research focus is the interplay between calcium intake, vitamin D and PTH and at which level of calcium deprivation mineralisation begins to fail. His team is investigating ways how to diagnose osteomalacia (poor bone mineralisation) biochemically. The rise of nutritional rickets and osteomalacia are major a public health concern hence there is a focus on public health and health economic projects.
Research groups and centres