Group of Bertram Bengsch
Members
| Prof. Dr. Dr. Bertram Bengsch (Group leader) | 0761/270-32800 | |
| Anna Hipp (MD student) | 0761/270-35110 | |
| Saskia Killmer (Mass cytometrie specialist, technical head) | 0761/270-35090 | |
| Laurenz Krimmel (MD student) | 0761/270-35110 | |
| Patricia Otto-Mora (MTA) | 0761/270-35090 | |
| Henrike Salié (MD student) | 0761/270-35110 | |
| Marilyn Salvat Lago (Mass cytometrie specialist) | 0761/270-35090 | |
| Lea Seidel (PhD student) | 0761/270-33960 | |
| Emilia Schlaak (MD student) | 0761/270-35110 | |
| Maryam Treiber (MD) | 0761/270-34010 | |
| Frances Winkler (PhD student) | 0761/270-35110 | |
| Zhen Zhang (PhD student) | 0761/270-35110 | |
In addition, we work in close cooperation with the group of Robert Thimme. | ||
Translational Systems Immunology in Hepatogastroenterology
The immune system is key to the understanding of many infectious, autoimmune and malignant diseases. In the lab, we study how the immune system responds to these challenges with the goal to translate this better understanding to inform therapeutic decisions, such as during immunotherapy, and identify cellular mechanisms controlling immune function to reveal additional targets for the manipulation of immune responses. We utilize advanced single-cell profiling approaches including mass cytometry and imaging mass cytometry in combination with algorithmic deconvolution of the dense data sets.
Diseases currently studied in the lab:
- Acute and chronic viral hepatitis (focus on HBV and HCV infection)
- COVID19
- Inflammatory Bowel disease
- Hepatocellular Carcinoma
- Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis
- Autoimmune Hepatitis
- Checkpoint-Blockade - associated adverse immune hepatitis and enteritis
- Malignant Melanoma
A major focus in the lab is centered on understanding exhausted T cells (TEX), which constitute a T cell lineage distinct from functional memory and effector cells that is characterized by co-expression of immunoregulatory molecules, an altered transcriptional and epigenetic landscape and reduced effector and memory functionality. We have demonstrated that bioenergetic regulation through immune checkpoints (e.g., PD-1) is an important driver of exhaustion. Further, we have demonstrated heterogeneity and disease associations of different varieties of exhausted T cells in humans that are impacted by therapy. Ongoing projects currently focus on understanding the cellular mechanisms underlying the differential usage of immunometabolism in different subtypes of T cells and understanding the role of peripheral and tissue-resident immune populations.
We work closely together with the Freiburg Liver Immunology research groups. Our lab runs the Freiburg Mass Cytometry Unit.
Funding
- Sonderforschungsbereich-TRR179 (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG)
- Sonderforschungsbereich 1160: IMPATH (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG)
- Exzellenzcluster BIOSS und CIBSS (Centre for integrative Signaling Studies)
- German Mass Cytometry Network (GERMANET)