The transCampus Metabolic Training Programme Explores the Link of
SARS-CoV-2 Virus to Metabolic Disease
Authors: Bornstein S. R. , Guan K. , Brunßen C. , Mueller G. , Kamvissi-Lorenz V. , Lechler R. , Trembath R. , Mayr M. , Poston L. , Sancho R. , Ahmed S. , Alfar E. , Aljani B. , Alves T. C. , Amiel S. , Andoniadou C. L. , Bandral M. , Belavgeni A. , Berger I. , Birkenfeld A. , Bonifacio E. , Chavakis T. , Chawla P. , Choudhary P. , Cujba A. M. , Delgadillo Silva L. F. , Demcollari T. , Drotar D. M. , Duin S. , El-Agroudy N. N. , El-Armouche A. , Eugster A. , Gado M. , Gavalas A. , Gelinsky M. , Guirgus M. , Hansen S. , Hanton E. , Hasse M. , Henneicke H. , Heller C. , Hempel H. , Hogstrand C. , Hopkins D. , Jarc L. , Jones P. M. , Kamel M. , Kämmerer S. , King A. J. F. , Kurzbach A. , Lambert C. , Latunde-Dada Y. , Lieberam I. , Liers J. , Li J. W. , Linkermann A. , Locke S. , Ludwig B. , Manea T. , Maremonti F. , Marinicova Z. , McGowan B. M. , Mickunas M. , Mingrone G. , Mohanraj K. , Morawietz H. , Ninov N. , Peakman M. , Persaud S. J. , Pietzsch J. , Cachorro E. , Pullen T. J. , Pyrina I. , Rubino F. , Santambrogio A. , Schepp F. , Schlinkert P. , Scriba L. D. , Siow R. , Solimena M. , Spagnoli F. M. , Speier S. , Stavridou A. , Steenblock C. , Strano A. , Taylor P. , Tiepner A. , Tonnus W. , Tree T. , Watt F. , Werdermann M. , Wilson M. , Yusuf N. , Ziegler C. G. ,   IRTG Study Group:
Published: March 2021

Currently, we are experiencing a true pandemic of a communicable disease by the
virus SARS-CoV-2 holding the whole world firmly in its grasp. Amazingly and
unfortunately, this virus uses a metabolic and endocrine pathway via ACE2 to
enter our cells causing damage and disease. Our international research training
programme funded by the German Research Foundation has a clear mission to train
the best students wherever they may come from to learn to tackle the enormous
challenges of diabetes and its complications for our society. A modern training
programme in diabetes and metabolism does not only involve a thorough
understanding of classical physiology, biology and clinical diabetology but has
to bring together an interdisciplinary team. With the arrival of the coronavirus
pandemic, this prestigious and unique metabolic training programme is facing new
challenges but also new opportunities. The consortium of the training programme
has recognized early on the need for a guidance and for practical
recommendations to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic for the community of patients
with metabolic disease, obesity and diabetes. This involves the optimal
management from surgical obesity programmes to medications and insulin
replacement. We also established a global registry analyzing the dimension and
role of metabolic disease including new onset diabetes potentially triggered by
the virus. We have involved experts of infectious disease and virology to our
faculty with this metabolic training programme to offer the full breadth and
scope of expertise needed to meet these scientific challenges. We have all
learned that this pandemic does not respect or heed any national borders and
that we have to work together as a global community. We believe that this
transCampus metabolic training programme provides a prime example how an
international team of established experts in the field of metabolism can work
together with students from all over the world to address a new pandemic.