
Dirk Hubmacher, PhD
About Me
Dr. Dirk Hubmacher is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthopedics and a member of Mindich Child Health and Development Institute (MCHDI). Dr. Hubmacher’s current research continues to focuses on the role of ADAMTS proteases and ADAMTS-like proteins, in conjunction with fibrillin microfibrils, in the formation of musculoskeletal tissues. The musculoskeletal disorders caused by mutations in the respective proteins are characterized by severe short stature, short hands and feet, stiff joints, and a pseudomuscular built. To elucidate the biological role of ADAMTS proteases and ADAMTS-like proteins, Dr. Hubmacher’s laboratory has generated mouse models of these disorders and uses cell-based assays and biochemical and biophysical approaches to dissect hierarchical protein-protein interactions in the extracellular matrix and to determine responses of tissue-resident cells to faulty extracellular matrices deposited in disease conditions.
The work of Dr. Hubmacher was funded by the NIH (NIAMS), the Rare Disease Foundation, and the Ines Mandl Research Foundation and was previously recognized by a postdoctoral fellowship from the German Academic Exchange Service, a Young Investigator Award from the Marfan Foundation, an Early Investigator Grant from the Marfan Foundation, the Faculty Idea Prize (Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai), and the Lamport Clinical Research Award (Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai).
Dr. Hubmacher received his Ph.D. from the University of Lübeck in Germany in 2004 and entered the field of extracellular matrix biology as a postdoctoral fellow with Dr. Dieter Reinhardt (McGill University, Montreal) to study mechanisms of fibrillin microfibril formation and their pathogenic modification with homocysteine. In 2011, he moved to the laboratory of Dr. Suneel Apte at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute to study the function of ADAMTS proteases and ADAMTS-like proteins in mouse models of human genetic disorders. During his postdoctoral training in Dr. Reinhardt’s laboratory, he discovered that fibrillin microfibrils are altered by homocysteine and that these alterations had similar molecular consequences as point mutations in fibrillin-1 causing Marfan syndrome, thus providing a potential explanation for the phenotypic overlap of homocystinuria and Marfan syndrome. In addition, he described a novel mechanism for the assembly of fibrillin microfibrils that involves the multimerization of the C-terminal end of the fibrillin molecule. In Dr. Apte’s laboratory, he found that aspects of the lung phenotype in ADAMTSL2 knock-out mice resemble tissue biopsies from geleophysic dysplasia patients and he linked these to alterations in fibrillin-2 microfibril formation. In several studies, he contributed novel insights into the formation and maintenance of the ciliary zonule in the eye, contributing to the understanding of the development of this structure and suggesting pathological mechanisms for lens dislocation (ectopia lentis), a hallmark feature of Marfan syndrome and associated disorders.
Web site: http://labs.icahn.mssm.edu/hubmacherlab/
Language
English
Position
ADJUNCT ASSISTANT PROFESSOR | Orthopedics
Research Topics
Biochemistry, Biomedical Sciences, Cell Biology, Developmental Biology, Extracellular Matrix, Growth Factors and Receptors, Integrins, Knockout Mice, Muscle Cells, Orthopaedics, Protein Complexes, Protein Structure/Function, Protein Trafficking & Sorting, Skeletal Biology, Tendon Biology
Publications
Selected Publications
- The matricellular protein ADAMTS-like 2 regulates differentiation of skeletal muscle-resident fibro-adipogenic progenitor cells. Charlene Redhead, Nandaraj Taye, Britney Chin-Young, Kasoorelope Oguntuyo, James H. Cummins, Kevin J. Hart, Woojin M. Han, Dirk Hubmacher. iScience
- Biomaterial-Based Regenerative Strategies for Volumetric Muscle Loss: Challenges and Solutions. Charlene W. Cai, Josh A. Grey, Dirk Hubmacher, Woojin M. Han. Advances in Wound Care
- Myoblast-derived ADAMTS-like 2 promotes skeletal muscle regeneration after injury. Nandaraj Taye, Levon Rodriguez, James C. Iatridis, Woojin M. Han, Dirk Hubmacher. npj Regenerative Medicine
Industry Relationships
Physicians and scientists on the faculty of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai often interact with pharmaceutical, device, biotechnology companies, and other outside entities to improve patient care, develop new therapies and achieve scientific breakthroughs. In order to promote an ethical and transparent environment for conducting research, providing clinical care and teaching, Mount Sinai requires that salaried faculty inform the School of their outside financial relationships.
Below are financial relationships with industry reported by Dr. Hubmacher during 2024 and/or 2025. Please note that this information may differ from information posted on corporate sites due to timing or classification differences.
Consulting or Other Professional Services Examples include, but are not limited to, committee participation, data safety monitoring board (DSMB) membership
- Forty51 Ventures
- Ines Mandl Research Foundation
Mount Sinai’s faculty policies relating to faculty collaboration with industry are posted on our website. Patients may wish to ask their physician about the activities they perform for companies.