Dr. Maximilian F. Konig is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Rheumatology and the Ludwig Center for Cancer Genetics and Therapeutics, and the Director of the Cellular Therapy Program (Autoimmunity) at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He received his medical degree from Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin & Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin in Germany, and completed his residency training in Internal Medicine in the Stanbury Physician-Scientist Pathway at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School. He subsequently pursued fellowship training in Clinical and Molecular Rheumatology and Advanced Rheumatology in Baltimore, before joining the faculty at Johns Hopkins. In addition to his clinical training, he completed postdoctoral research fellowships in the Division of Rheumatology (mentor: Dr. Felipe Andrade) and the Ludwig Center for Cancer Genetics and Therapeutics at the Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center (mentor: Dr. Bert Vogelstein), before joining the faculty at Johns Hopkins.

Education, Training, and Academic Roles

Medical School: Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

Residency: Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School

Clinical Fellowships: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

  • Rheumatology

  • Advanced Rheumatology

Postdoctoral Fellowships: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

  • Clinical and Molecular Rheumatology

  • Immuno-Oncology

Director, Cellular Therapy Program (Autoimmunity)

Maximilian F. Konig, MD; Dr. Maximilian F. König

Maximilian F. Konig, M.D.

Awards/Honors

Scholar, German National Academic Foundation

Fellow, Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds (2009-2010)

Albert L. Lehninger Young Investigator Award, Johns Hopkins University (2016)

Outstanding Research Award, Massachusetts General Hospital (2017)

Scholar, Physician Scientist Training Program, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (2020)

Distinguished Fellow Award, American College of Rheumatology (2021)

Harrington Scholar-Innovator, Harrington Discovery Institute (2023)

Lupus Innovation Award, Lupus Research Alliance (2023)

Investigator Award, Rheumatology Research Foundation (2023)

Selected Publications

  • Ma J, Zhu Y, Kong J, Yu D, Toh WH, Jain M, Ni Q, Ge Z, Lin J, Choy J, Cheng L, Konstantopoulos K, Konig MF, Sun SX, Mao HQ. Tuning extracellular fluid viscosity to enhance transfection efficiency. Nat Chem Eng. 2024;1(576–587). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44286-024-00116-3.

  • Mog BJ, Marcou N, DiNapoli SR, Pearlman AH, Nichakawade TD, Hwang MS, Douglass J, Hsiue EH, Glavaris S, Wright KM, Konig MF, Paul S, Wyhs N, Ge J, Miller MS, Azurmendi P, Watson E, Pardoll DM, Gabelli SB, Bettegowda C, Papadopoulos N, Kinzler KW, Vogelstein B, Zhou S. Preclinical studies show that Co-STARs combine the advantages of chimeric antigen and T cell receptors for the treatment of tumors with low antigen densities. Sci Transl Med. 2024 Jul 10;16(755):eadg7123. doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adg7123.

  • Nichakawade TD, Ge J, Mog BJ, Lee BS, Pearlman AH, Hwang MS, DiNapoli SR, Wyhs N, Marcou N, Glavaris S, Konig MF, Gabelli SB, Watson E, Sterling C, Wagner-Johnston N, Rozati S, Swinnen L, Fuchs E, Pardoll DM, Gabrielson K, Papadopoulos N, Bettegowda C, Kinzler KW, Zhou S, Sur S, Vogelstein B, Paul S. TRBC1-targeting antibody-drug conjugates for the treatment of T cell cancers. Nature. 2024 Mar 27. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07233-2.

  • Konig MF. The rise of precision cellular therapies. Nat Rev Rheumatol. 2024 Jan 8;. doi: 10.1038/s41584-023-01073-6.

  • Mog B, Shaw E, Hwang M, Pearlman A, DiNapoli S, Paul S, Bettegowda C, Papadopoulos N, Gabelli S, Petri M, Rosen A, Zhou S, Kinzler K, Vogelstein B, Konig MF. Chimeric Autoantigen-T Cell Receptor (CATCR)-T Cell Therapies to Selectively Target Autoreactive B Cells [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2022; 74 (suppl 9). [presented in Plenary Session III, American College of Rheumatology Convergence 2022]

  • Zou RS, Liu Y, Gaido OER, Konig MF, Mog BJ, Shen LL, Aviles-Vazquez F, Marin-Gonzalez A, Ha T. Improving the sensitivity of in vivo CRISPR off-target detection with DISCOVER-Seq. Nat Methods. 2023 Apr 6.

  • Berti A, Hillion S, Konig MF, Casal Moura M, Hummel AM, Carmona E, Peikert T, Fervenza FC, Kallenberg CGM, Langford CA, Merkel PA, Monach PA, Seo P, Spiera RF, Brunetta P, St Clair EW, Harris KM, Stone JH, Grandi G, Pers JO, Specks U, Cornec D. Autoreactive plasmablasts after B cell depletion with rituximab and relapses in ANCA-associated vasculitis. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2022 Oct 25.

  • Konig MF*, Grzes KM, Robinson PC, Pearce EJ. Sulfasalazine: a risk factor for severe COVID-19? Lancet Rheumatol. 2022 Mar 15.

  • Konig MF*, Paul S. More on CD19-CAR T Cells in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. N Engl J Med. 2021 Nov 4;385(19):e67.

  • Hwang MS, Miller MS, Thirawatananond P, Douglass J, Wright KM, Hsiue EH, Mog BJ, Aytenfisu TY, Murphy MB, Aitana Azurmendi P, Skora AD, Pearlman AH, Paul S, DiNapoli SR, Konig MF, Bettegowda C, Pardoll DM, Papadopoulos N, Kinzler KW, Vogelstein B, Zhou S, Gabelli SB. Structural engineering of chimeric antigen receptors targeting HLA-restricted neoantigens. Nat Commun. 2021 Sep 6;12(1):5271.

  • Hwang MS, Mog BJ, Douglass J, Pearlman AH, Hsiue EH, Paul S, DiNapoli SR, Konig MF, Pardoll DM, Gabelli SB, Bettegowda C, Papadopoulos N, Vogelstein B, Zhou S, Kinzler KW. Targeting loss of heterozygosity for cancer-specific immunotherapy. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021 Mar 23;118(12).

  • Paul S, Pearlman AH, Douglass J, Mog BJ, Hsiue EH, Hwang MS, DiNapoli SR, Konig MF, Brown PA, Wright KM, Sur S, Gabelli SB, Li Y, Ghiaur G, Pardoll DM, Papadopoulos N, Bettegowda C, Kinzler KW, Zhou S, Vogelstein B. TCR β chain-directed bispecific antibodies for the treatment of T cell cancers. Sci Transl Med. 2021 Mar 10;13(584):eabd3595.

  • Hsiue EH, Wright KM, Douglass J, Hwang MS, Mog BJ, Pearlman AH, Paul S, DiNapoli SR, Konig MF, Wang Q, Schaefer A, Miller MS, Skora AD, Azurmendi PA, Murphy MB, Liu Q, Watson E, Li Y, Pardoll DM, Bettegowda C, Papadopoulos N, Kinzler KW, Vogelstein B, Gabelli SB, Zhou S. Targeting a neoantigen derived from a common TP53 mutation. Science. 2021 Mar 5;371(6533):eabc8697.

  • Douglass J, Hsiue EH, Mog BJ, Hwang MS, DiNapoli SR, Pearlman AH, Miller MS, Wright KM, Azurmendi PA, Wang Q, Paul S, Schaefer A, Skora AD, Molin MD, Konig MF, Liu Q, Watson E, Li Y, Murphy MB, Pardoll DM, Bettegowda C, Papadopoulos N, Gabelli SB, Kinzler KW, Vogelstein B, Zhou S. Bispecific antibodies targeting mutant RAS neoantigens. Sci Immunol. 2021 Mar 1;6(57).

  • Giles JT, Reinholdt J, Andrade F, Konig MF. Associations of Antibodies Targeting Periodontal Pathogens With Subclinical Coronary, Carotid, and Peripheral Arterial Atherosclerosis in Rheumatoid Arthritis. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2021 Apr;73(4):568-575.

  • Konig MF, Powell M, Staedtke V, Bai RY, Thomas DL, Fischer N, Huq S, Khalafallah AM, Koenecke A, Xiong R, Mensh B, Papadopoulos N, Kinzler KW, Vogelstein B, Vogelstein JT, Athey S, Zhou S, Bettegowda C. Preventing cytokine storm syndrome in COVID-19 using α-1 adrenergic receptor antagonists. J Clin Invest. 2020 Jul 1;130(7):3345-3347.

  • Konig MF. The microbiome in autoimmune rheumatic disease. Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2020 Feb;34(1):101473. Review.

  • Konig MF, Abusleme L, Reinholdt J, Palmer RJ, Teles RP, Sampson K, Rosen A, Nigrovic PA, Sokolove J, Giles JT, Moutsopoulos NM, Andrade F. Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans-induced hypercitrullination links periodontal infection to autoimmunity in rheumatoid arthritis. Sci Transl Med. 2016 Dec 14;8(369):369ra176.

  • Konig MF, Giles JT, Nigrovic PA, Andrade F. Antibodies to native and citrullinated RA33 (hnRNP A2/B1) challenge citrullination as the inciting principle underlying loss of tolerance in rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis. 2016 Nov;75(11):2022-2028.

  • Konig MF, Paracha AS, Moni M, Bingham CO 3rd, Andrade F. Defining the role of Porphyromonas gingivalis peptidylarginine deiminase (PPAD) in rheumatoid arthritis through the study of PPAD biology. Ann Rheum Dis. 2015 Nov;74(11):2054-61.

View the complete list of publications by Dr. Konig here.

Dome, Johns Hopkins Hospital (across the street from the lab)

Dome, Johns Hopkins Hospital (across the street from the lab)

We would be nothing without our mentors. Thank you!

  • Bert Vogelstein, M.D.

  • Antony Rosen, M.B.Ch.B., M.S.

  • Felipe Andrade, M.D., Ph.D.

  • Chetan Bettegowda, M.D., Ph.D.

  • Kenneth Kinzler, Ph.D.

  • Janelle Montagne, M.S., Ph.D.

  • Mechthild Treziak-König, Dipl-Psych.

  • Nickolas Papadopoulos, Ph.D.

  • Philip Seo, M.D.

  • Shibin Zhou, M.D., Ph.D.

  • Hopkins Rheum

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We want to fundamentally change the way that rheumatic diseases are treated. We envision a future where precision therapies can eradicate a patient’s self-reactive immune cells without impairing the normal immune responses that protect us from infection and cancer. It takes a village to develop personalized therapies and bring them to our patients. Your support can make all the difference .