Ulf Panzer and Christian Krebs

Immune-mediated glomerular diseases are a major cause of end stage renal disease and are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. In most forms of glomerulonephritis, autoreactive immune responses result in renal injury with proteinuria and various degrees to rapid loss of renal function. The lack of a comprehensive understanding of the immunopathogenesis has so far hindered the identification of novel biomarkers and the development of specific treatment options.

To overcome these hurdles, we have established pipelines for deep tissue analysis and sophisticated tools for functional testing. Focussing on the tissue-specific immunity in the kidney in particular in the context of interactions of T cell subsets, cytokines and renal tissue cells we aim at decoding the immune response of individual GN patients and at developing new pathogenesis-based treatment options for our patients with glomerulonephritis.

Madeleine Bunders

Recent studies by our group have shown that organ specific immune development in humans is a highly dynamic process. Furthermore, early in life immune responses are directed towards mediating tissue development. We demonstrated that memory CD4+ T cells in children regulate intestinal development. However, further skewing of tissue regenerative immune responses can contribute to impaired tissue regeneration, inflammation and lack of control of infections. T

he group focusses on discovery of the mechanisms mediating communication between immune cells and tissue cells that regulate immune development and when dysregulated contribute to infectious and inflammatory diseases in children. To this end, we have developed in vitro organoid-immune cell models. These novel in vitro models mimic tissue in 3D and allow to study interactions between human tissue and immune cells in healthy human development and diseases to identify targets to develop new medical strategies to restore tissue homeostasis and promote healthy organ development.

More about the project here .

Samuel Huber

Inflammation is fundamental to promote tissue regeneration upon injury, and in turn, the resolution of the immune response. Physiological tissue regeneration depends on fine-tuned interaction between the immune system, the tissue, and the microbiota. However, the complex communication between these three components and the molecules that mediate it are unclear. Understanding this is fundamental to prevent immune-mediated diseases and even cancer. This is particularly important at mucosal surfaces, where continued regeneration occurs. Therefore, we hypothesize that inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and colorectal cancer (CRC) are a consequence of a miscommunication between these components.

Thus, our aim is to understand how the complex interactions between the immune system, the tissue, and the microbiota lead to either physiological or pathological tissue regeneration. This will provide the basis for therapies controlling inflammation and tissue regeneration in a spatio-temporal manner.

Manuel Friese

We seek to better understand the development and progression of neuroimmunological and neuroinfectious diseases with particular emphasis on multiple sclerosis to translate molecular findings into drug treatment and improve clinical care. In order to achieve this goal, we systematically study immunology, neurobiology and patient care using a wide methodological spectrum.

Marcus Altfeld

Differences in immune responses between biological females and males are apparent in homeostasis and a wide variety of diseases. Examples include stronger immune responses against pathogens and vaccines in females, leading to more rapid control or clearance of infection. Enhanced immune responsiveness in females, comes at a cost however, such as persistent inflammation leading to aggravated tissue damage and significantly higher incidence of autoimmune disease. The mechanisms underlying these sex differences in immunity are not well understood. Our aim is to determine the consequences of genes encoded by the X and Y chromosomes and of sex hormones for human immune responses, and their contribution to sex-specific differences in immune responses to viral infections.

Immo Prinz

The scientific focus of the Prinz lab is to understand the development and function of γδ T cells, whose role in immune responses to infection, cancer, and in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases is still largely unclear. To this end, we generated genetic models to investigate the functions of γδ T cells in vivo, and we monitor of γδ T cell dynamics in clinical cohorts using γδ TCR repertoire analyses in combination with single cell RNA-sequencing. Furthermore, we employ systems immunology approaches and CRISPR-based screening methods to identify specific ligands for any given αβ und γδ TCR of interest.

Petra Arck

Our laboratory aims to advance our knowledge of determinants of maternal and fetal immunity during pregnancy. We utilize pre-clinical models and seeks to translate emerging insights into the comprehensive evaluation of large human data sets with known outcomes and corresponding bio samples. Determinants of successful reproduction have emerged over millions of years in order to ensure survival of mammalian species. Thus, our findings also serve as a blueprint to inform other areas of immunology. Therefore, our work holds the potential to also decode the complexity of the pathogenesis of infections in mother and child, along with related co-morbidities such as neurocognitive disorders.

Nicola Gagliani

We aim to understand how T cells adapt to environmental changes, including alterations in our diet, unraveling the intricate relationship between these cells and the surrounding tissues. Going further, our focus is on deciphering the pivotal role T cells play as orchestrators in both physiological responses to pathogens and the potentially damaging processes associated with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. Through this exploration, our goal is to provide valuable insights into the dynamic interplay of immunity and the mechanisms underlying inflammatory conditions.

Ansgar W. Lohse, Christoph Schramm and Johannes Herkel

The liver is vital to the maintenance of immune tolerance. In the Schramm lab, we investigate the mechanisms governing immune regulation in the liver in translational research. The cellular interactions and pathways characteristic for human immune-mediated liver and biliary diseases are being explored using human biosamples and mouse models of disease. Current projects include the role of sex hormones and microbiota as factors affecting immune cell function and their interaction with hepatic parenchymal cells.

Tim Magnus and Mathias Gelderblom

We want to understand the molecular basis of stroke pathology in order to advance treatment. To reach this goal, we pursue different approaches. We focus on immune mechanisms, cellular communication, endothelial dysfunction and novel imaging techniques. Novel therapies include nanobodies, which are tested in international preclinical randomized controlled trials.

For more information: ERSI - Experimental Research in Stroke and Inflamation

Stefan Bonn

At the Institute of Medical Systems Biology (IMSB) we are dedicated to unraveling the complexities of human pathology, by combining expertise in bioinformatics, image analysis, machine learning, and data integration. We strive to deepen the understanding of human pathology through computational methodologies and ultimately improve patient outcomes through innovative clinical decision support systems and novel therapeutic approaches. We maintain close collaboration with the medical clinics of the UKE to ensure our research remains directly applicable to clinical practice.

Our approach integrates and analyzes vast amounts of biomedical data using cutting-edge technologies such as multi-omics analyses, drug-target interaction, deep learning or spatial transcriptomics.Our commitment to advancing scientific knowledge extends beyond our research efforts. We offer courses in machine and deep learning to foster interdisciplinary collaboration among physicists, computer scientists, and medical professionals. Additionally, our research groups focus on specialized areas such as genomic AI, computational pathology, biomedical data analysis, and data integration.