Dr Matthias Bruhn awarded doctoral prize by the HZI Förderverein
Award ceremony as part of the Inhoffen Lecture on 13 June 2024
Read moreImmunology
Kalinke Lab
Research Focus
Our group focuses on the analysis of (i) chronic herpes virus infection, (ii) infection-associated tissue inflammation, and (iii) the development of innovative interventions. For our projects we closely collaborate with physician scientists from the MHH.
CMV coevolved during Millions of years with its specific host. This is why different host species have their own CMV species (e.g. mouse CMV and human CMV) which manage to specifically evade relevant components of the host immunity. As a consequence, after CMV infection the virus is not eliminated but establishes a persistent infection. We want to understand early events in the host reponse against CMV infection andanalyze sensing platforms underlying the triggering of virus-specific immune responses.
On the one hand this is done by using mice devoid of one or several pattern recognition signaling platforms. On the other hand, primary human myeloid cell subsets, of which only a certain proportion is infected with HCMV, is tested with innovative technologies. Furthermore, we aim at understanding the pro- and anti-viral functions of type I IFN and to resolve why only some cells of an overall homogenous cell population are infected and produce type I IFN.
In the field of infection-associated tissue inflammation we aim at understanding local immunological processes that can differ fundatmentally in different organs. In particular dissecting responses mounted by tissue-resident myeloid cells and infiltrating leucocytes in acute viral hepatitis and encephalitis is one of our foci. For this purpose we are useing innovative mouse models, e.g., mice in which brain resident microglia, but not peripheral myeloid cells, are tagged by a fluorescense marker.
Based on the knowledge obtained in the research activities above we develop innovative interventions. Currently we aim at establishing a new approach for cell selective drug delivery in which the compound of interest is encapsulated in glycan-functionalized liposomes (TargoSpheres®) or chitosan coated poly (lactid-co-glycolide) acid (CS-PLGA). Furthermore, the researchers are intrested in identifying the molecular mechanism of HBV vaccination non-responsiveness.
Posts
Doctoral Prize of the Friends of the MHH goes to Dr Bibiana Costa
TWINCORE scientist honoured for outstanding doctoral thesis.
Read moreNew junior research group "Translational Immunology
Clinician scientist Theresa Graalmann starts her own group at TWINCORE
Read more17 December 2013 Trojan horse for the treatment of tuberculosis
Read more25 September 2013 HAI at TWINCORE
Read moreForschen zwischen Grundlagen und Zulassung - Neue Forschungsrichtung am TWINCORE
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Start-up funding for antibody project
MEMUMAB research project receives GO-Bio initial funding / Kickoff on 22 November
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Better results through less stress
Researchers in Hannover have developed a new method for studying neuroinfections. This reduces errors in analysis and delivers more accurate results.
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New approaches to research into systemic sclerosis
A research team at TWINCORE was able to establish that TLR8 influences the formation of disease-relevant cytokines.
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More than the sum of the parts
TWINCORE researchers show role of epistatic interaction in the omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 virus .
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Diversity is the key
How B cells recognise new variants of SARS-CoV-2
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Hijacking in the immune system
HCMV reprograms cellular defence mechanisms
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How pollen increases susceptibility to virus infection
TWINCORE researchers describe how birch pollen affects immune cells
Read moreVaccination success without B cells
Communication between immune cells determines response to vaccination
Read moreA call for help from the brain
How immune cells are lured to the brain in encephalitis
Read moreA Trojan horse against tuberculosis
New transport route for antibiotics directly into infected cells
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