Regenerative Biomedicine
Centre of Reproductive Medicine and Andrology
Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, Geb. D11
48149 Münster
Tel. +49 (0)251 83-54837
E-Mail: Dr. Christian Schiffer

• Scientific career

  since 2021	Project group leader
  2017	Klaus Tschira Award
  2016-2021	Scientist at the "Centrum für Reproduktionsmedizin und Andrologie" of the University Hospital Münster
  2016	Scientist at the Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar) of the Max Planck Society, Bonn
  2016	Ph.D. Degree in Biochemistry, University of Cologne
  2013-2016	Ph.D. thesis at the Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar) of the Max Planck Society, Bonn
  2006-2012	Studies of Biochemistry at the Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf

• Publications

  Young, S.*, Schiffer, C.*, Wagner, A., Patz, J., Potapenko, A., Herrmann, L., Nordhoff, V., Pock, T., Krallmann, C., Stallmeyer, B., Röpke, A., Kierzek, M., Biagioni, C., Wang, T., Haalck, L., Deuster, D., Hansen, J. N., Wachten, D., Risse, B., Behre, H. M., Schlatt, S., Kliesch, S., Tüttelmann, F., Brenker, C., Strünker, T. (2023) "Unexplained infertility is frequently caused by defective CatSper function preventing sperm from penetrating the egg coat" MedRxiv 2023.03.23.23286813, doi.org/10.1101/2023.03.23.23286813

  Rahban, R., Rehfeld, A., Schiffer, C., Brenker, C., Egberg Palme, D., Wang, T., Lorenz, J., Almstrup, K., Skakkebaek, N., Strünker, T., Nef, S. (2021) "The antidepressant Sertraline inhibits CatSper Ca2+ channels in human sperm" Human Reproduction, doi.org/10.1093/humrep/deab190

  Brenker, C., Schiffer, C., Strünker, T. (2021) "Method for assessing the fertilizing potential of sperm based on longitudinal axis rotation." European Patent Application: PCT/EP2020/072724. patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf

  Schiffer, C., Brenker, C., Strünker, T., Young, S. (2020) "CatSper-Activity-Test for determining male infertility." European Patent Application: PCT/EP2020/057904. patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf

  Miguel-Jiménez, S., Schiffer, C., Strünker, T., Pérez-Pé, R. (2020) "Evaluation of CatSper channel activation in different sperm species by kinetic ion-sensitive fluorimetry." Animal Reproduction Science 220, 106374. doi.org/10.1016/j.anireprosci.2020.106374

  Gromoll, J., Schiffer, C., Tüttelmann, F. (2019) "Der vergessene Mann." DFG Forschung 44 (3), 4-9. doi.org/10.1002/fors.201970302

  Balbach, M., Hamzeh, H., Jikeli, J. F., Brenker, C., Schiffer, C., Hansen, J. N., Neugebauer, P., Trötschel, C., Jovine, L., Han, L., Florman, H. M., Kaupp, U. B., & Strünker, T. (2020) "Molecular Mechanism Underlying the Action of Zona-pellucida Glycoproteins on Mouse Sperm." Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, 8, 1–15. doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2020.572735

  Wang, T., Young, S., Krenz, H., Tüttelmann, F., Röpke, A., Krallmann, C., Kliesch, S., Zeng, X., Brenker, C., & Strünker, T. (2020) "The Ca2+ channel CatSper is not activated by cAMP/PKA signaling but directly affected by chemicals used to probe the action of cAMP and PKA." Journal of Biological Chemistry. doi.org/10.1074/jbc.RA120.013218

  Schiffer C, Rieger S, Brenker C, Young S, Hamzeh H, Wachten D, Tüttelmann F, Röpke A, Kaupp UB, Wang T, Wagner A, Krallmann C, Kliesch S, Fallnich C, Strünker T. (2020) "Rotational motion and rheotaxis of human sperm do not require functional CatSper channels and transmembrane Ca2+ signaling." EMBO J. (2020) Jan 39:e102363. doi.org/10.15252/embj.2019102363.

  Brenker C, Rehfeld A, Schiffer C, Kierzek M, Kaupp UB, Skakkebæk NE, Strünker T (2018) "Synergistic activation of CatSper Ca2+ channels in human sperm by oviductal ligands and endocrine disrupting chemicals." Hum Reprod. 2018 Sep 5. doi.org/10.1093/humrep/dey275.

  Rennhack A, Schiffer C, Brenker C, Fridman D, Nitao ET, Cheng YM, Tamburrino L, Balbach M, Stölting G, Berger TK, Kierzek M, Alvarez L, Wachten D, Zeng XH, Baldi E, Publicover S, Kaupp UB, Strünker T (2018). "A novel cross-species inhibitor to study the function of CatSper Ca2+ channels in sperm." Br J Pharmacol. 2018 May 3. doi.org/10.1111/bph.14355

  Brenker, C.* & Schiffer, C.*, Wagner I.V., Tüttelmann, F., Röpke, A., Rennhack, A., Kaupp, U.B., Strünker, T. (2018) "Action of steroids and plant triterpenoids on CatSper Ca2+ channels in human sperm." PNAS 115, E344-E346. doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1717929115 *Equal contribution.

  Schiffer, C., Müller, A., Egeberg, D.L., Alvarez, L., Brenker, C., Rehfeld, A., Frederiksen, H., Wäschle, B., Kaupp, U.B., Balbach, M., Wachten, D., Skakkebaek, N.E., Almstrup, K. & Strünker, T. (2014) "Direct action of endocrine disrupting chemicals on human sperm.” EMBO Reports 15, 758-765. doi.org/10.15252/embr.201438869

  Thamm, M., Rolke, D., Jordan, N., Balfanz, S., Schiffer, C., Baumann, A., Blenau, W. (2013) "Function and distribution of 5-HT2 receptors in the honeybee (Apis mellifera)." PLoS One 12, e82407. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0082407

  *contributed equally