Projects

The group focuses on the so-called co-stimulation of T cells and the regulation of immune responses. The aim of our work is to identify novel immunotherapeutic approaches for malignancies like leukemia, infectious diseases and autoimmune diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis.

 

Currently we are trying to answer the following questions:

 

CD28-mediated co-stimulation:

·       Is CD28-mediated co-stimulation a suitable ‘target’ to improve cancer therapy?

·       Can CD28-mediated co-stimulation be exploited to achieve therapeutic ‘regprogramming’ of CD4⁺ T helper cells, e.g. in patients suffering from an autoimmune disease?

Immunocardiology:

·       What triggers the development of autoantibodies against the b1-adrenergic receptor which are believed to be able to induce heart failure in humans?

·       Can the therapeutic activation of CD4⁺ Foxp3⁺ regulatory T cells improve wound healing after myocardial infarction?

Infectious diseases:

·       How do secreted proteins of the pathogenic fungus Candida albicans influence T cell responses against fungus?

·       Which role do sphingolipids play in the function of T cells and the control of measles virus infections in the central nervous system?