TI-2: Integrative Immunogenetics and Cellular Approaches toward Developing an Antigen-Specific Therapy
Coordinators:P.Bacher(CAU),A.Scheffold(CAU)
ThemembersofTI-2wanttoidentifypotentialtriggersofchronicinflammatoryboweldisease(IBD).TheinflammationismaintainedbyimmunecellssocalledTcells,whichmistakenlytargetharmlessintestinalcomponents,forexamplepartsofthemicrobiomeorfoodcomponents,andinthiswayleadtotissuedamage.TheresearchersinTI-2wanttoidentifynovelandpatient-specifictherapeutictargetsanddiagnosticopportunitieswiththeaimofselectivelyswitchingoffthedisease-causingTcells.
What does this research area’s work build on?
Tcells,whichcanbeactivatedbyintestinalantigens,contributesignificantlytoIBDpathogenesis,andarethuspotentialdriversofboth,thediseaseaswellasresistancetotreatment.Tcellsrecognizeantigens,whicharepresentedbyHLAmoleculesonantigen-presentingcells.ThescientistsinTI-2havealreadyidentifiedHLAclassIIsusceptibilityallelesinIBDpatients,whichsupportstheideaofHLA-Tcellinteractionsaspotentialdriversofdisease.However,thespecificantigenswhicharerecognizedbyTcells,thetypeofTcellresponsestodifferentantigens,aswellasthepatient-specificcontributionofindividualHLAriskalleles,havenotyetbeendefined.
What are the main research objectives?
BasedonthegeneticandTcellanalyses,theresearchareahasdevelopedanintegrativeresearchagendatoidentifyTcelltargetantigensrelatedtoIBD.Thegoalistodevelopnewantigen-specificandpatient-specificdiagnosticapproachesandpersonalizedantigen-specifictreatmentstrategiesforIBDpatients.Tothisend,thememberswanttoidentifypotentiallydisease-causingenvironmentalmicrobes,antigens,proteinsandpeptides,andthenquantitativelyandqualitativelycharacterizethedisease-relevantTcells.
What makes this research area special?
Themembershavedevelopedanewmethodologywhichenablesthemtoidentifypotentialdisease-causingTcellsandtheconstituentsofthemicrobiomewhichtheyreactto,andthuscharacterizethedisease-relatedchanges.Usingthis,thepropertiesofthepathogeniccellsshouldbepreciselyidentifiedinTI-2,andthenspecificallyswitchedoffintreatment.Inaddition,theresearchareaisveryinterdisciplinary,withresearchersfromimmunology,evolutionarybiology,geneticepidemiologyandbioinformaticsworkingverycloselytogether.
What does the research area contribute to precision medicine in chronic inflammation?
TheidentificationofclinicallyrelevantIBDantigensandspecificTcellsisthebasisforantigen-specificandpatient-specificdiagnosticsandimmunotherapy.ThecorrectionofthepathogenicadaptiveimmuneresponsemakesitpossibletobreaktheviciouscycleofIBDbecomingchronic,andthusrepresentsanovelandpotentiallycurativetherapeuticapproach.Ifthepotentialantigencomesfromtheenvironment,itcouldsimplybeavoided.Relevantantigensfrombacteriacouldpossiblybeeliminatedbyspecificphagetherapy.
Cooperation with other research areas in the cluster
- RTFII:Microbiomeanalysis,inordertoidentifypossibletargetantigens,especiallywithinthemicrobiota
- RTFIII:EpigeneticsignaturesandmodificationofpathologicalTcellresponses
- RTFIV:Cytometryfacility:sortingandcharacterizationofdisease-relevantTcells
- RTFVI:Sequencingtoolstocomprehensivelycharacterizedisease-relevantTcells
Members
Prof. Dr. Lars Bertram
Full member
University of Lübeck
Lübeck Interdisciplinary Platform for Genome Analytics (LIGA)
Prof. Dr. Stefanie Derer-Petersen
Full member
UKSH Campus Lübeck
Institute of Medical Nutrition Science
RG Molecular Gastroenterology
Prof. Dr. Marc Ehlers
Full member
UKSH Campus Lübeck
Institute of Medical Nutrition Science
Immunology and Glycoanalytics
Prof. Dr. David Ellinghaus
Full member
Kiel University
Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology
Centre for Molecular Biosciences
Dr. Eva Ellinghaus
Full member
Kiel University
Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology
Centre for Molecular Biosciences
Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Andre Franke
Full member
Kiel University
Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology
Genetics & Bioinformatics
Prof. Dr. Sabine Fuchs
Full member
UKSH Campus Kiel
Department of Trauma Surgery
Experimental Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery
M. Sc. Mikhail Goncharov
Associated member
UKSH Campus Kiel
Department of Immunology
AG Prof. Bacher
Dr. med. Rainer Günther
Full member
UKSH Campus Kiel
Department of Internal Medicine I
Prof. Dr. Arndt Guido Heine
Full member
UKSH Campus Kiel
Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology
Jennifer Het
Associated member
UKSH Campus Kiel
Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology
AG Prof. Heine
Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Andreas Hutloff
Full member
UKSH Campus Kiel
Department of Immunology
Prof. Dr. Saleh Ibrahim
Full member
UKSH Campus Lübeck
Lübeck Institute for Experimental Dermatology
Genetics of Inflammatory Diseases
Prof. Dr. rer. biol. hum. Ottmar Janssen
Full member
UKSH Campus Kiel
Department of Immunology
Prof. Dr. med. Dietrich Kabelitz
Full member
UKSH Campus Kiel
Department of Immunology
M.Sc. Sina Kaiser
Associated member
UKSH Campus Kiel
Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology
AG Prof. Heine
PD Dr. Kathrin Kalies
Full member
University of Lübeck
Institute for Anatomy
Dr. rer. nat. Anika Kasprick
Associated member
UKSH Campus Lübeck
Lübeck Institute for Experimental Dermatology
AG Prof. Ludwig
Prof. Dr. Claudia Kemper
Full member
University of Lübeck
Institute for Systemic Inflammation Research
Prof. Dr. Jörg Köhl
Full member
University of Lübeck
Institute for Systemic Inflammation Research
Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Ben Krause-Kyora
Full member
Kiel University
Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology
Ancient DNA Research
Prof. Dr. Ralf Ludwig
Full member
UKSH Campus Lübeck
Lübeck Institute for Experimental Dermatology
Model Systems of Inflammatory Skin Diseases
M.Sc. Hnna Marutz
Associated member
UKSH Campus Kiel
Department of Immunology
AG Prof. Bacher
Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Silke Meiners
Full member
Kiel University
Institute of Experimental Medicine
c/o Research Center Borstel - Leibniz Lung Center
Immunology and Cell Biology
Priority Research Area Chronic Lung Diseases
Prof. Dr. med. Franz-Josef Müller
Full member
UKSH Campus Kiel
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy
Center for Integrative Psychiatry gGmbH
Prof. Almut Nebel
Full member
Kiel University
Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology
Longevity Ancient DNA Research
Dr. rer. nat. Christian Peters
Associated member
UKSH Campus Kiel
Department of Immunology
AG Prof. Kabelitz
M.Sc. Laura Rathjens
Associated member
UKSH Campus Kiel
Department of Immunology
AG Prof. Bacher
Prof. Dr. Karina Reiß
Full member
UKSH Campus Kiel
Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology
Prof. Dr. Gabriela Riemekasten
Full member
UKSH Campus Lübeck
Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology
M.Sc. Gabriela Rios Martini
Associated member
UKSH Campus Kiel
Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology
AG Prof. Bacher
Prof. Dr. Jan Rupp
Full member
UKSH Campus Lübeck
Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology
Dr. rer. nat. Carina Saggau
Associated member
UKSH Campus Kiel
Department of Immunology
Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Alexander Scheffold
Full member
UKSH Campus Kiel
Department of Immunology
Prof. Dr. med. Stefan Schreiber
Spokesperson
Kiel University
Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology
Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Susanne Sebens
Full member
UKSH Campus Kiel
Institute of Experimental Cancer Research
Dr. oec. troph. Ina Suhrkamp
Associated member
UKSH Campus Kiel
Department of Dermatology, Venereology, and Allergology
AG Prof. Heine
Prof. Dr. Andreas Tholey
Full member
UKSH Campus Kiel
Institute of Experimental Medicine
Systematic Proteomics
M. Sc. Alba Troci
Associated member
Kiel University
Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology
AG Prof. Franke
Prof. Dr. med. Thomas Valerius
Full member
UKSH Campus Kiel
Department of Internal Medicine II
Stem Cells and Immunotherapy
Dr. Artem Vorobyev
Associated member
UKSH Campus Lübeck
Department of Dermatology, Allergology and Venerology
Eva Wendt
Associated member
UKSH Campus Kiel
Department of Internal Medicine I
Prof. Dr. Daniela Wesch
Full member
UKSH Campus Kiel
Department of Immunology
