Thomas Weimbs

Thomas Weimbs (born in Germany) is a German-American molecular biologist and cell biologist. He is a professor of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) and the head of the Weimbs Laboratory.

Career

Weimbs earned his Diplom Chemiker (MS) in 1990 and his Dr. rer. nat. (Ph.D.) in 1993 from the University of Cologne, Germany, researching the structure of the myelin proteolipid protein and its mutations in Pelizaeus-Merzbacher Disease. He subsequently conducted postdoctoral research at the Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) from 1994 to 1999, studying the role of the SNARE membrane fusion machinery in polarized membrane trafficking in epithelial cells. In 1999, he became an Assistant Staff member at the Lerner Research Institute of the Cleveland Clinic. In 2020, Weimbs founded Santa Barbara Nutrients, Inc., where he acts as the President and Chief Scientific Officer.

Research

Initially Weimbs studied intracellular membrane trafficking, mapping the differential localization of SNARE proteins and syntaxin isoforms in polarized epithelial cells.

His research then transitioned to the underlying molecular mechanisms and potential treatments for polycystic kidney disease (PKD). His laboratory identified the abnormal activation of the mTOR and STAT signaling pathways in PKD, establishing parallels between cyst growth and normal renal injury repair processes. More recently, his research focuses on metabolic interventions to mitigate PKD progression. He demonstrated that inducing ketosis via a ketogenic diet, intermittent fasting, or administration of the ketone beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) can slow or partially reverse cyst growth in animal models. This research subsequently led to retrospective case studies and clinical trials indicating the feasibility and positive metabolic impact of ketogenic regimens for human PKD patients. Additionally, his lab discovered that microcrystal injury in kidney tubules triggers a conserved reno-protective response leading to tubule dilation that can worsen the progression of PKD, and that this can be prevented by citrate supplementation. Weimbs is the inventor on several patents on the use of the combination of BHB and citrate for the treatment or management of PKD and other kidney diseases.

In addition to dietary interventions, Weimbs investigates targeted immunotherapies, such as utilizing transcytosing dimeric IgA monoclonal antibodies to directly deliver therapeutics into epithelial-enclosed kidney cysts.

Distinctions

1994: Feodor Lynen Fellow, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation 2006: Innovator Award, Cleveland Clinic

Selected works