Prof. Dr. Markus Cornberg participates in RESIST research projects B8, B9 and B10.

My Research Interest in RESIST

Our research focus at RESIST is to understand how the immune system can control or eliminate hepatitis viruses and to use this knowledge to develop new treatment strategies, particularly for chronic hepatitis B (HBV). Current treatment methods, such as nucleoside or nucleotide analogues (NA), are the most commonly used drugs in chronic HBV. However, these therapies only suppress the virus and rarely lead to a cure or functional cure, defined as loss of HBV surface antigen (HBsAg). Therefore, most patients require lifelong treatment, which underscores the urgent need for new approaches to achieve HBsAg loss.

To address this issue, we have initiated prospective clinical studies to evaluate a structured discontinuation or interruption of NA treatment in chronic HBV patients. The results of the first study were pivotal, demonstrating that discontinuation of NA therapy followed by a rebound in HBV DNA can trigger immune responses that drive HBsAg loss in 10–30% of cases. However, important questions remain, including identifying the key immune components required for functional cure after NA interruption and determining which patients would be likely to benefit from NA treatment discontinuation.

In addition, our research is also focused on identifying new therapeutic targets to enhance functional HBV cure, such as epigenetic mechanisms. This comprehensive approach enables RESIST to drive significant advances in the treatment of HBV and immune-mediated liver diseases.

Prof. Cornberg about his scientific work

This Video was recorded in 2021.

Prof. Dr. Markus Cornberg – Curriculum Vitae

Current Positions

  • W3-Professor for Infectious Disease with Emphasis on Hepatology

  • Deputy clinic director of the Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Infectious Diseases and Endocrinology

  • Clinical Director of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) and Director of the Centre for Individualised Infection Medicine (CIIM) 

Undergraduate and Postgraduate Training

  • 1992 – 1999 Academic studies of medicine, MHH, Germany

  • 2000 Approbation (license to practice medicine) as MD, MHH, Germany

  • 2000 Medical Doctorate with summa cum laude (Dr. med.; Supervisor Prof. Dr. med. S. Wagner, MHH)

  • 2011 Venia legendi (Habilitation) (Supervisor Prof. Dr. med. M.P. Manns, MHH)

  • 2011 Certificate of Completed Medical Specialist for Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology

  • 2014 Certificate of Completed Medical Specialist for Infectious Diseases 

  • 2016 – 2021 W2-Professor for Infectious Disease with Emphasis on Hepatology, Hannover Medical School (MHH)

  • Since 2019 Clinical Director of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) and Director of the Centre for Individualised Infection Medicine (CIIM)

  • Since 2020 Deputy clinic director (stellvertretender Klinikdirektor) of the Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Infectious Diseases and Endocrinology at Hannover Medical School 

  • Since 2022 W3-Professor for Infectious Disease with Emphasis on Hepatology, Hannover Medical School (MHH) 

Academic and Research Posts

  • 1999 – 2002 Residency, Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, MHH, Germany

  • 2002 – 2005 Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA

  • Since 2005 Research Group Leader, Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, MHH, Germany

  • Since 2011 Senior attending physician (infectious disease ward, hepatitis outpatient clinic), Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, MHH, Germany 

  • Since 2019 Managing senior physician (Ltd. OA) MHH, Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology 

Other Scientific Roles

  • Since 2006 Medical secretary of the German Liver Foundation

  • Since 2006 Coordinator of the German Hepatitis B Guideline

  • 2017 – 2020 Member of the Scientific Committee and Governing Board of the European Association for the Study of The Liver (EASL)

  • Since 2017 Member of the coordinating committee of the Federal Ministry of Health “BIS 2030 – Strategy for the containment of HIV, hepatitis B and C and other sexually transmitted infections”

  • Since 2018 Coordinator of the structured doctoral programme “KlinStrucMed” at MHH

  • 2019 – 2024 Associate Editor, Journal of Hepatology 

  • Since 2024 Associate Editor, Hepatology

  • 2024/2025 Coordinator of the Hepatitis B Guidelines of the European Association for the Study of The Liver (EASL)

    Recommended Links

    For further information about Prof. Cornberg’s scientific work please check the following links:

    10 Selected Publications

    Aliabadi, E., M. Urbanek-Quaing, B. Maasoumy, B. Bremer, M. Grasshoff, Y. Li, C. E. Niehaus, H. Wedemeyer, A. R. M. Kraft*, and M. Cornberg*. 2022. Impact of HBsAg and HBcrAg levels on phenotype and function of HBV-specific T cells in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection. Gut 71: 2300–2312. PMID: 34702717 *contributed equally. 

    Oltmanns, C., Z. Liu, J. Mischke, J. Tauwaldt, Y. A. Mekonnen, M. Urbanek-Quaing, J. Debarry, B. Maasoumy, H. Wedemeyer, A. R. M. Kraft, C.-J. Xu*, and M. Cornberg*. 2023. Reverse inflammaging: Long-term effects of HCV cure on biological age. J Hepatol 78: 90–98. PMID: 36152762 *contributed equally equally 

    Niehaus, C. E., B. Strunz, M. Cornillet, C. S. Falk, A. Schnieders, B. Maasoumy, S. Hardtke, M. P. Manns, A. R. M. Kraft*, N. K. Björkström*, and M. Cornberg*. 2020. MAIT Cells Are Enriched and Highly Functional in Ascites of Patients With Decompensated Liver Cirrhosis. Hepatology 72: 1378–1393. PMID: 32012321 *contributed equally. 

    Soon, C. F., P. Behrendt, D. Todt, M. P. Manns, H. Wedemeyer, M. Sällberg Chen*, and M. Cornberg*. 2019. Defining virus-specific CD8+ TCR repertoires for therapeutic regeneration of T cells against chronic hepatitis E. J Hepatol 71: 673–684. PMID: 31203151 *contributed equally

    Aregay, A., S. Owusu Sekyere, K. Deterding, K. Port, J. Dietz, C. Berkowski, C. Sarrazin, M. P. Manns, M. Cornberg*, and H. Wedemeyer*. 2019. Elimination of hepatitis C virus has limited impact on the functional and mitochondrial impairment of HCV-specific CD8+ T cell responses. J Hepatol 71: 889–899. PMID: 31295532 *contributed equally

    Rinker, F., C. L. Zimmer, C. Höner zu Siederdissen, M. P. Manns, A. R. M. Kraft, H. Wedemeyer, N. K. Björkström*, and M. Cornberg*. 2018. Hepatitis B virus-specific T cell responses after stopping nucleos(t)ide analogue therapy in HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B. J Hepatol 69: 584–593. PMID: 29758333 *contributed equally

    Zhang, S., R. K. Bakshi, P. V. Suneetha, P. Fytili, D. A. Antunes, G. F. Vieira, R. Jacobs, C. S. Klade, M. P. Manns, A. R. M. Kraft, H. Wedemeyer, V. Schlaphoff*, and M. Cornberg*. 2015. Frequency, Private Specificity, and Cross-Reactivity of Preexisting Hepatitis C Virus (HCV)-Specific CD8 + T Cells in HCV-Seronegative Individuals: Implications for Vaccine Responses. J Virol 89: 8304–8317. PMID: 26041301 *contributed equally.

    Owusu Sekyere, S., P. V. Suneetha, A. R. M. Kraft, S. Zhang, J. Dietz, C. Sarrazin, M. P. Manns, V. Schlaphoff*, M. Cornberg*, and H. Wedemeyer*. 2015. A heterogeneous hierarchy of co-regulatory receptors regulates exhaustion of HCV-specific CD8 T cells in patients with chronic hepatitis C. J Hepatol 62: 31–40. PMID: 25131771 *contributed equally.

    Waggoner, S. N., M. Cornberg, L. K. Selin, and R. M. Welsh. 2012. Natural killer cells act as rheostats modulating antiviral T cells. Nature 481: 394–398. PMID: 22101430

    Cornberg, M., A. T. Chen, L. A. Wilkinson, M. A. Brehm, S.-K. Kim, C. Calcagno, D. Ghersi, R. Puzone, F. Celada, R. M. Welsh, and L. K. Selin. 2006. Narrowed TCR repertoire and viral escape as a consequence of heterologous immunity. J Clin Invest 116: 1443–56. PMID: 16614754

    Contact

      Prof. Dr. Markus Cornberg
      Klinik für Gastroenterologie, Hepatologie und Endokrinologie, Hannover Medical School (MHH)
      Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1
    30625 Hannover
      +49 511 532 6821
      Cornberg.Martin
    @mh-hannover.de