
Optimised active substances against RSV
OPERA research project launched to further develop antiviral active substances

TWINCORE was founded in 2008 by the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research and the Hannover Medical School. We combine the expertise of medical professionals and scientists from a wide range of disciplines to find answers to the pressing questions in infection research. Our focus: translational research – the bridge between basic science and clinical application.
The LISA Summer School 2026 takes place from 23 August to 11 September 2026. Registration is open until 31 March.
We conduct translational infection research to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases in humans. We focus on three areas that characterize our research work. Find out here how we proceed and what results we achieve.
Under the leadership of our best scientists, various labs are working on different projects within our research topics.
Sánchez-Maldonado J, Macauda A, Cabrera-Serrano A, Thomsen H, Güler M, Horst R, van Guelpen B, Vodicka P, Landi S, Chattopadhyay S, Ünal P, Ruiz-Durán L, Casabonne D, Goldschmidt H, Serin I, Carretero-Fernández M, Cabezudo E, Reyes-Zurita F, Norman A, García-Sanz R, Capurso G, Hoffmann P, Pettersson-Kymmer U, Jiménez-Romera F, Rajkumar S, Weinhold N, Vodickova L, Langer C, Stein A, Karismaz A, Moreno V, Nöthen M, Jöckel K, Tavano F, Martínez-López J, Kumar S, Gutiérrez-Bautista J, Basso D, Späth F, Benavente Y, Hildebrandt M, Schmidt B, Sevcikova T, Reis R, Li Y, López-Nevot M, Netea M, Campa D, Clay-Gilmour A, Slager S, Hemminki K, Vachon C, Försti A, Canzian F, Sainz J
Waqas F, S da Costa L, Zapatero-Belinchón F, Carter-Timofte M, Lasswitz L, van der Horst D, Möller R, Dahlmann J, Olmer R, Geffers R, Gerold G, Olagnier D, Pessler F
Elwy A, Abdelrahman H, Specht J, Ewert G, Friebus-Kardash J, Dhiman S, Falkenstein J, Christ T, Wiebeck E, Shamoon A, Leimkühler N, Gramberg T, Russ A, Kalinke U, Kuang F, Sutter K, Kopf M, Mack M, Hansen W, Nimmerjahn F, Lang K
Immunomodulatory drugs for rheumatic diseases specifically influence immune cells and messenger substances. This project investigates their effect on immune responses in order to find individually suitable therapies.
Immunomodulatory drugs can have systemic side effects. This project is testing nanocarriers that deliver drugs specifically into myeloid immune cells in order to reduce side effects and increase the local effect.
The project investigates how HCMV is recognized by the immune system and which mechanisms the virus uses to camouflage itself. The aim is to understand the immune reactions and develop therapies for severely affected patients.
We are investigating why HCV infections sometimes heal spontaneously, but often become chronic, and why RSV infections are severe in some children. We use modern sequencing technologies to analyze the genetic characteristics of hosts and pathogens in order to understand susceptibility.

