The group was established at the Department of Biomedicine in 2017, with the aim to explore basic functions of lymphocytes in health and disease. Lymphocytes form the backbone of the adaptive immune system, the branch of the immune system responsible for immunological memory. We are approaching central questions in lymphocyte biology using a breadth of techniques ranging from sequencing of antibody and T cell receptor repertoires, cloning, recombinant expression, protein engineering, over in vitro cell-based assays, nanoscience-based dissection of molecular interactions, to flow cytometry, cell sorting and confocal microscopy, as well as advanced in vivo mouse models and intravital two-photon microscopy, the latter including longitudinal imaging of lymphoid tissues using a novel imaging window chamber implantate.
In response to foreign molecules (antigens), B lymphocytes produce antibodies, soluble molecules that are able to bind these antigens with high affinity and to direct their neutralization and clearance. This process takes place in specialized microanatomical structures in secondary lymphoid tissue, called germinal centers. Such immunological responses are assisted by a specialized subset of T lymphocytes, T helper cells, a subgroup of which localize to germinal centers and are termed T follicular helper cells (Tfh). Germinal centers are also central to autoimmune responses, whereby the body attacks its own tissues. In recent years, it has become clear that another subset of T cells, so-called T follicular regulatory cells (Tfr) are involved in regulating germinal center responses, and preventing emergence of specificities towards self. Our group studies germinal centers mainly from the perspective of autoimmunity, comparing and contrasting with normal responses to foreign antigens.
Our basic investigations into autoimmunity extend to recently established links between maternal health, neuroinflammation and neuropsychiatric disorders. A significant fraction of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients experience neuropsychiatric symptoms, encompassing anxiety, depression, cognitive impairment, seizures and, in rare cases, psychosis. Children of lupus mothers often display learning disorders and have an increased risk of autism spectrum disorders. Emerging evidence suggests an important link between maternal immune activation and abnormal brain development. We explore the mechanisms behind such maternofetal influences in the context of autoimmune diseases.
A subset of hematological malignancies is derived from lymphocytes and their precursors. This includes some leukemias (ALL and CLL) and lymphomas. Although still lagging behind therapies for solid malignancies, immunologically based treatment of these diseases using monoclonal antibodies, targeting for example PD-L1 or CTLA-4, and more recently CAR-T cells, has been advanced in recent years. We seek deeper insight into these malignancies and novel treatments from the perspective of lymphocyte biology. We are furthermore interested in fundamental questions of tumor immunology and tolerance.