Experimental Immunology

Immune Response and Interventions

HZI Campus

Immune cell populations are characterized by a high degree of heterogeneity to enable efficient and specialized responses to the diverse set of pathogens. This is particularly true for cells of the adaptive immune system, but also innate immune cell populations are heterogeneous and can adapt to different environmental conditions. Adaptation of immune cells is often associated with epigenetic alterations that lead to the fixation of gene expression patterns, finally resulting in cells with highly specialized fates, phenotypes and functional properties.

Head

Prof Dr Jochen Hühn

Head of Research Group

+49 531 6181-3310 E-Mail

Our Research

Epigenetic profiling of immune cell subsets allows to identify functionally relevant genes and novel therapeutic targets. A better understanding of the cellular and molecular players controlling the epigenetic imprinting of gene expression patterns might enable the generation of tailored immune cell subsets with epigenetically fixed functional properties for therapeutic use. In addition, only little is known about the impact of infections and environmental cues (e.g. microbiota) on immune cells’ epigenomes. These epigenetic changes, particularly if acquired at young age, might have long-lasting consequences for the immune system’s functionality later in life, and part of the inter-individual variability of immune responsiveness might be attributed to unique epigenetic signatures within immune and non-immune cells due to the highly personal history of each individuum regarding infections and environmental cues. Unravelling the molecular mechanisms underlying these (early-life) events and enlighten the long-lasting consequences for the immune system’s functionality later in life will help to develop strategies to reprogram the epigenetic imprinting of gene expression patterns in selected tissues or cells, thereby resetting inappropriate immune responsiveness.