The dendriitic cell group is headed by Professor Silke Appel. The groups primary focus is on the use of dendritic cells in immunotherapy.

Current projects and members within the group are 

Richard Davies (PhD fellow): Signaling cascades and immunological networks in autoimmune diseases

The aim of his study is to explore and compare signaling networks in unstimulated and stimulated immune cells (B cells, T cells, monocytes) from patients with primary Sjögren’s syndrome in order to analyze the signaling cascades activated by for instance various TLR ligands in these patients using single cell phospho-flow. The obtained results will help to gain insights in possible misdirected signaling pathways in patients with autoimmune diseases and thus support the development of new diagnostic tools and improve current therapies.

Florian Sprater (PhD fellow): Analyses of the epithelial specific transcription factor ESE-3

ESE-3 belongs to the family of E26 transformation specific (Ets) transcription factors and has been shown to be important during the generation of monocyte-derived DC. Florian’s project aims at further defining the function of various ESE-3 isoforms in DC as well as finding new downstream targets of ESE-3.

Dag Heiro Yi (medical student of the research line – “forskerlinjestudent”): Improving dendritic cell-based immunotherapy

Dag’s project focuses on improving the quality of dendritic cells (DCs) used in immunotherapy by using different maturation stimuli in combination with OK432. OK432 is a penicillin killed Streptococcus pyogenes preparation which has shown promising results in immunotherapy so far. Dag’s analyses focus on phenotype, cytokine production and T cell stimulatory capacity of the generated DC populations.

Waqas Azeem (research assistant): Use of tolerogenic dendritic cells to treat autoimmune diseases

Immature DCs circulate through tissues and lymphoid organs, taking up and presenting peptides from apoptotic cells and other self-antigens to T cells. Through this mechanism they play a critical role in the continuous induction of peripheral tolerance, thereby preventing hyperreactivity and autoimmunity. The use of tolerogenic DCs presenting appropriate autoantigens might therefore be a possible treatment method for patients with autoimmune diseases.

Petra Vogelsang (Post-Doc): Dendritic cells as potential targets for immunotherapy in Sjögren's Syndrome

The overall aim of the study is to elucidate the role of dendritic cells (DC) in primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS), a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease characterized by loss of exocrine functions and progressive mononuclear cell infiltration in the exocrine glands. In particular the IFN-alpha secreting plasmacytoid DC, which might trigger the increased IFN signature seen in patients with pSS, seem to be a promising target for future interventions. The effect of possible preventive treatments on DC subsets and other antigen-presenting cell subsets are analyzed in experimental mouse models for SS.