Prof. Dr. med. Dr. h.c. Christoph Lange

Univ. Prof. Dr. med. Dr. h. c. Dipl- Biol. FERS, FESCMID, FIDSA, FRCP

Stand: 14.04.2025

Funktion

• Medizinischer Direktor am Forschungszentrum Borstel
• Professor (W3) für Respiratory Medicine & International Health an der Universität zu Lübeck (beamtet)
• Leiter der Forschergruppe Klinische Infektiologie am Forschungszentrum Borstel.
• Leiter der klinischen Tuberkuloseeinheit im Deutschen Zentrum für Infektionsforschung
• Leitung der Medizinischen Infrastrukturen (Pathologie, MVZ, Studienzentrum und Biobank) am Forschungszentrum Borstel

Forschungs- /Tätigkeitsprofil

• Forschungsschwerpunkt auf dem Gebiet der Tuberkulose (Antibiotika-Resistenz, Epidemiologie, Prävention, Diagnostik und Therapie)
• Stichworte: Biomarker, personalisierte Medizin, Kohortenstudien, M/XDR-TB, NTMs, TBNET, Osteuropa, südliches Afrika

Ausbildung / Education/Training

• 2022: Board certification „Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases“ 
• 2009: Board certification „Sleep Medicine“
• 2008: Board certification „Critical Care Medicine“
• 2008: Board certification „Allergology“
• 2006: Board certification „Infectious Diseases“
• 2003: Board certification „Pulmonology“
• 2001-2009: Subspeciality training, Medical Clinic, Research Center Borstel 
• 2001: Board certification „Internal Medicine“
• 1999-2001: Fellowship in Infectious Diseases (CWRU, Cleveland, Ohio, USA)
• 1994-1999: Training in Internal Medicine (Cape Town, RSA; Preetz and Rendsburg)
• 1988-1994: Medicine, Board Licensing Examination (University of Witten-Herdecke)
• 1983-1988: Biology Diploma (University of Kiel)

Akademische Ernennungen / Academic Appointments

• 2024-: Visiting Professor for Mycobacterial Diseases, UKE, Hamburg
• 2023-: Member of the Board of Directors, Secretary General, The UNION
• 2021-: Affiliated Professor, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
• 2018-: Medical Director, Research Center Borstel, Borstel, Germany
• 2018-2021: Affiliated Professor, Umeå University, Umeå (Sweden)
• 2017-2021: Chief of Medicine, Research Center Borstel, Borstel, Germany
• 2014-2020: Foreign Adjunct Professor, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm (Sweden)
• 2014-: Professor (W3) Respiratory Medicine/Int. Health, University Lübeck
• 2012-: Adjunct Professor of Medicine, USMF, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova

Wichtige wissenschaftliche Preise/Funktionen / Important Scientific Prizes/Functions

• 2024: Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, London
• 2023: Hinduja Hospital TB Oration, India
• 2018: Memento Research Award for Neglected Diseases, Germany
• 2017: Spinoza Chair in Medicine, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• 2014: Science Award, Doner´s Association for Research in Germany
• 2013: Doctor honoris causa, USMF, Chisinau, R Moldova
• 2011-2014: Assembly Head (Respiratory Infections) European Respiratory Society
• 2006-2012: Chair: Tuberculosis Network European Trialsgroup (TBNET)
• h-factor: 99 (Web of Science) 
• Citations (life time) 39.627
• Number of publications: 641
• Key words: tuberculosis, MDR-TB, NTMs, personalized medicine, clinical management

Aktuelle Projekte / Current Projects

• 2021-2027: EU-IMI UNITE4TB,
  Klinische Leitung / Clinical lead
• 2019-2025: Excellence Cluster Personalized Medicine, CD3;
  WP Co-Leitung / co-leader
• 2021-2025: EDCTP stool4TB;
  WP Leitung / leader
• 2019-2024: EDCTP ClicTB;
  WP Leitung / leader
• 2016-2025: DZIF ClinTB;
  Leitung / Head
• 2016-2025: DZIF TTU TB: Personalized Medicine;
  Co-Koordinator / co-coordinator
• 2016-2025: DZIF TTU TB: East. European Study Site;
  Co-Koordinator / co-coordinator

Ausgewählte Publikationen / Key publications 2023-2025:

2025

• Lange C, et al. A Year in Review on Tuberculosis and Non-tuberculous Mycobacteria Disease: A 2025 Update for Clinicians and Scientists. Pathog Immun. 2025 Mar 2;10(2):1-45. doi: 10.20411/pai.v10i2.791.
• Vasiliu A, et al. Shifting tuberculosis dynamics in the EU/EEA: geographical and drug resistance trends among people of foreign origin, 2019 to 2023. Euro Surveill. 2025 Mar;30(11):2500173. doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2025.30.11.2500173.
• Garcia-Prats AJ, et al. Characteristics of children and adolescents with multidrug-resistant and rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis and their association with treatment outcomes: a systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis. Lancet Child Adolesc Health. 2025 Feb;9(2):100-111. doi: 10.1016/S2352-4642(24)00330-4.
• Kasule GW, et al. Performance of stool Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra for detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis among adults living with HIV: a multicentre, prospective diagnostic study. Lancet Microbe. 2025 Mar 28:101085. doi: 10.1016/j.lanmic.2025.101085.
• Kunst H, et al. Tuberculosis in adult migrants in Europe: a TBnet consensus statement. Eur Respir J. 2025 Jan 30:2401612. doi: 10.1183/13993003.01612-2024.
• Neumann M, et al. The molecular bacterial load assay predicts treatment responses in patients with pre-XDR/XDR-tuberculosis more accurately than GeneXpert Ultra MTB/Rif. J Infect. 2025 Feb;90(2):106399. doi: 10.1016/j.jinf.2024.106399.
• Rauch A, et al. Long-Term Self-Administered Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy in the Treatment of Tuberculosis. Drugs. 2025 Jan;85(1):87-96. doi: 10.1007/s40265-024-02122-4.
• Reimann M, et al. The TB27 Transcriptomic Model for Predicting <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> Culture Conversion. Pathog Immun. 2025 Jan 29;10(1):120-139. doi: 10.20411/pai.v10i1.770.
• Youngquist BM, et al. Rapid tuberculosis diagnosis from respiratory or blood samples by a low cost, portable lab-in-tube assay. Sci Transl Med. 2025 Apr 9;17(793):eadp6411. doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adp6411.

2024

• Brehm TT, et al. (Re-)introduction of TNF antagonists and JAK inhibitors in patients with previous tuberculosis: a systematic review. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2024 Apr 23: S1198-743X(24)00206-4. doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2024.04.011.
• Carratalà Castro L, et al. Use of stool-based molecular tests for pediatric tuberculosis diagnosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.  Lancet Microbe. 2024 Nov 9:100963. doi: 10.1016/j.lanmic.2024.100963.
• Cirillo DM et al. Handing over the baton: A successful UN High-Level Meeting on AMR must build on the 2023 UN High-Level Meeting on TB. Lancet Glob Health. 2024 Aug;12(8):e1225-e1226. doi: 10.1016/S2214-109X(24)00229-8.
• Dheda K, et al. Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2024 Mar 24;10(1):22. doi: 10.1038/s41572-024-00504-2.
• Dheda K, et al. Towards shorter, safer, flexible, and more effective treatment regimens for drug-resistant tuberculosis. Lancet Respir Med. 2024 Oct 1:S2213-2600(24)00300-X. doi: 10.1016/S2213-2600(24)00300-X.
• Diacon AH, et al.. Fourteen-day treatment responses in participants with rifampicin-susceptible pulmonary tuberculosis receiving the leucyl-tRNA synthetase inhibitor GSK3036656: a phase 2a open-label, randomized trial. Nat Med 2024 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-024-02829-7
• Gillespie SH, et al. Developing biomarkers assays to accelerate tuberculosis drug development: defining target product profiles. Lancet Microbe 2024, Published Online, https://doi.org/10.1016/S2666-5247(24)00085-5
• Günther G, et al.  Availability of drugs and resistance testing for BPaLM regimen for rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis in Europe. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2024 Mar 13:S1198-743X(24)00121-6. doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2024.03.009
• Hoelscher M, et al. Candidate anti-tuberculosis medicines and regimens under clinical evaluation. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2024 Jun 21:S1198-743X(24)00296-9. doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2024.06.016.
• Kay A, et al. Performance of a quantitative stool polymerase chain reaction assay for the diagnosis of tuberculosis: a multinational diagnostic accuracy study. Lancet Microbe 2024 Mar 7: S2666-5247(23)00391-9. doi: 10.1016/S2666-5247(23)00391-9.
• Lienhardt C, et al. Target regimen profiles: shaping the future of tuberculosis treatment. Bull World Health Organ. 2024 Aug 1;102(8):600-607. doi: 10.2471/BLT.24.291881.
• Martinez L, et al. Effectiveness of preventive treatment among persons with differing age and Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection status: A systematic review and individual-participant meta-analysis of contact tracing studies Lancet Respir Med 2024 Published Online, https://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-2600(24)00083-3
• Nyang'wa BT, et al.  Short oral regimens for pulmonary rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (TB-PRACTECAL): an open-label, randomised, controlled, phase 2B-3, multi-arm, multicentre, non-inferiority trial. Lancet Respir Med. 2024 Feb;12(2):117-128. doi: 10.1016/S2213-2600(23)00389-2
• Shaw ES, et al. Bedaquiline: what might the future hold? Lancet Microbe. 2024 Jul 26:100909. doi: 10.1016/S2666-5247(24)00149-6
• Stoycheva K, et al. Tuberculosis in people of Ukrainian origin in the European Union and the European Economic Area, 2019 to 2022. Stoycheva K, Cristea V, Ködmön C, Rosales-Klintz S, Zenner D, Vasiliu A, van der Werf M, Lange C. Euro Surveill. 2024 Mar;29(12). doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2024.29.12.2400094.
• Wetzstein N, et al. Clinical spectrum and relevance of Mycobacterium malmoense: systematic review and meta-analysis of 859 patients. J Infect. 2024 Jun 19:106203. doi: 10.1016/j.jinf.2024.106203.
• Zielinski N, et al. A transcriptomic biomarker predicting linezolid-associated neuropathy during treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis. Pathog Immun 2024 25;9(2):25-42. doi: 10.20411/pai.v9i2.705. eCollection 2024.

2023

• Chesov E, et al. Impact of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strain type on multidrug-resistant tuberculosis severity, Republic of Moldova. J Infect. 2023 Oct 10:S0163-4453(23)00532-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jinf.2023.10.001.
• COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative. A second update on mapping the human genetic architecture of COVID-19. Nature 2023
• Dominguez J, et al. Clinical implications of molecular drug resistance testing for Mycobacterium tuberculosis: a 2023 TBnet/RESIST-TB consensus statement. Lancet Infect Dis. 2023 Feb 28:S1473-3099(22)00875-1. doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(22)00875-1.
• Hamada Y, et al. Predictive performance of interferon-gamma release assays and the tuberculin skin test for incident tuberculosis: an individual participant data meta-analysis. EClinicalMedicine. 2023 Jan 5;56:101815. doi: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2022.101815.
• Koehler N, et al. Pretomanid-resistant tuberculosis. J Infect. 2023 Feb 2:S0163-4453(23)00069-5. doi: 10.1016/j.jinf.2023.01.039.
• Lange C, et al. Regimens for Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis. N Engl J Med. 2023 Jan 12;388(2):190. doi: 10.1056/NEJMc2213970.
• Lange C, et al. Emerging bedaquiline-resistant tuberculosis. Lancet Microbe 2023 November 3, 2023 https://doi.org/10.1016/S2666-5247(23)00321-X
• Lange C. Mission (im)possible: elimination of tuberculosis. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2023 Aug 4:S1198-743X(23)00361-0. doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2023.07.033.
• Maier C, et al. Long-term treatment outcomes in multidrug-resistant tuberculosis Clin Microbiol Infect. 2023 Feb 24:S1198-743X(23)00083-6. doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2023.02.013.
• Motta I, et al. Recent advances in the treatment of tuberculosis. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2023 Jul 21:S1198-743X(23)00339-7. doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2023.07.013.
• Noroc E, Chesov D, Merker M, Gröschel MI, Barilar I, Dreyer V, Ciobanu N, Reimann M, Crudu V, Lange C. Limited nosocomial transmission of drug-resistant-tuberculosis, R. Moldova. Emerg Infect Dis 2023 May;29(5):1046-1050. doi: 10.3201/eid2905.230035.
• Pedersen OS, et al. Global treatment outcomes of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Infect 2023 Jun 23:S0163-4453(23)00337-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jinf.2023.06.014.
• Salzer HJF, et al. Aspergillus-specific IgG antibodies for diagnosing chronic pulmonary aspergillosis compared to the reference gold standard. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2023 Sep 7:S1198-743X(23)00416-0. doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2023.08.032.
• Vasiliu A, et al. Tuberculosis in foreign-born persons in Europe. Euro Surveill. 2023 Oct;28(42):2300051. doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2023.28.42.2300051.