TI-2: Integrative Immunogenetics and Cellular Approaches toward Developing an Antigen-Specific Therapy

Based on the genetic and T cell analyses, the research area has developed an integrative research agenda to identify T cell target antigens related to IBD. The goal is to develop new antigen-specific and patient-specific diagnostic approaches and personalized antigen-specific treatment strategies for IBD patients. To this end, the members want to identify potentially disease-causing environmental microbes, antigens, proteins and peptides, and then quantitatively and qualitatively characterize the disease-relevant T cells.

The members have developed a new methodology which enables them to identify potential disease-causing T cells and the constituents of the microbiome which they react to, and thus characterize the disease-related changes. Using this, the properties of the pathogenic cells should be precisely identified in TI-2, and then specifically switched off in treatment. In addition, the research area is very interdisciplinary, with researchers from immunology, evolutionary biology, genetic epidemiology and bioinformatics working very closely together.

The identification of clinically relevant IBD antigens and specific T cells is the basis for antigen-specific and patient-specific diagnostics and immunotherapy. The correction of the pathogenic adaptive immune response makes it possible to break the vicious cycle of IBD becoming chronic, and thus represents a novel and potentially curative therapeutic approach. If the potential antigen comes from the environment, it could simply be avoided. Relevant antigens from bacteria could possibly be eliminated by specific phage therapy.

• RTF II: Microbiome analysis, in order to identify possible target antigens, especially within the microbiota
• RTF III: Epigenetic signatures and modification of pathological T cell responses
• RTF IV: Cytometry facility: sorting and characterization of disease-relevant T cells
• RTF VI: Sequencing tools to comprehensively characterize disease-relevant T cells