Research

Inflammatory Processes

The mammalian immune system evolved to protect us from pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, and fungi. Yet this powerful defense has a downside: when immune responses are misdirected or poorly regulated, they can cause chronic inflammation or autoimmune disease.

Such harmful reactions often result from disturbed communication between immune cells. For the immune system to function properly, its many cell types must constantly exchange information through a sophisticated signaling network. Cytokines—soluble messenger molecules—form the “language” that enables this cellular dialogue. Our goal is to understand this communication network and to decode the language of the immune system.

We study how tissue-specific inflammation develops, with a particular interest in the interplay between the nervous and immune systems.

Building on our research in autoimmunity—an unwanted immune response—we are also exploring how immune mechanisms can be harnessed against cancer, turning the immune system’s destructive potential into a therapeutic advantage.

Our main research areas include:

• Cytokine networks in chronic inflammatory diseases, with a focus on multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, and graft-versus-host disease
• Immune tolerance and lymphoid development
• The role of cytokines in enbryogenesis
• Cancer immunotherapy, especially the interaction between immune and tumor cells, and new strategies to activate targeted anti-tumor immune responses