Research Groups
Cytokines and Disease
Research Interests and Description
Group Leader and Scientific Coordinator: Frank Brombacher, PhD
Group Members
Research Interests
Immunological mechanisms of host protection in infectious and non-infectious diseases.Description of Research
The Group investigates immunological mechanisms in experimental murine models for human diseases. Major general topics include cytokine network and regulation, lymphocyte differentiation and function, dendritic cell and macrophage activation, as well as the role of non-immunological effector cells in health/disease like smooth muscle cells, goblet cells, activated by IL-4 and IL13. Current disease models under investigations include:
Bacterial Infectious Diseases
- Tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (aerosol).
- Listeriosis caused by Listeria monocytogenes.
Parasitic Infectious Diseases
- African trypanosomiasis caused by Trypanosoma brucei/evansi/congolense.
- Cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania major.
- Schistosomiasis (Bilharzia) caused by Schistosoma mansoni.
- Hookworm caused by Nippostrongylus brasiliensis.
Non-infectious Diseases
- Allergic inflammation, induced by Ovalbumin, House Dust Mite, or Anisakis.
- Colitis, chemically induced by Oxazalone.
Our research strategy is based on gain of knowledge by a loss of function approaches in knockout and knockdown animal models. This includes the generation and characterisation of novel conditional gene deficient mouse strains. Together with transcriptomic approaches, the significance of genes, factors and cells for host protection and failure thereof are uncovered and possible factors for host-directed drug targeting identified. This supports our long-term goal for the development of safe and cost-effective drug and vaccination strategies.
Recent Publications
Nguyen, K.D., Y. Qiu, X. Cui, Y.P.S. Goh, J. Mwangi, T. David, L. Mukundan, F. Brombacher, R.M. Locksley, A. Chawla. 2011. Alternatively activated macrophages produce catecholamines to sustain adaptive thermogenesis. Nature in press.
Hoving, J.C., Kirstein, F., Nieuwenhuizen, N., Hobeika, E., Reth, M., Brombacher, F. 2011. Immunoglobulin E-producing B lymphocytes mediate colitis in BALB/c mice. Gastroenterology In press
Guler, R., Afshar, M., Arendse, B., Parihar, S.P., Revaz-Breton, M., Leitges, M., Schwegmann, A., Brombacher, F. 2011. PKCδ regulates IL-12p40/p70 production by macrophages and dendritic cells, driving a type 1 healer phenotype in cutaneous leishmaniasis. Eur J Immunol. 41, 706-715 PubMed link
Horsnell, W.G., Vira, A., Kirstein, F., Mearns, H., Hoving, J.C., Cutler, A.J., Dewals, B., Myburgh, E., Kimberg, M., Arendse, B., White, N., Lopata, A., Burger, P.E., Brombacher, F. 2010. IL-4Ralpha-responsive smooth muscle cells contribute to initiation of T(H)2 immunity and pulmonary pathology in Nippostrongylus brasiliensis infections. Mucosal Immunol 4, 83-92 PubMed link
Dewals, B., Hoving, J.C., Horsnell, W.G., Brombacher, F. 2010. Control of Schistosoma mansoni egg-induced inflammation by IL-4-responsive CD4(+)CD25(- CD103(+)Foxp3(-) cells is IL-10-dependent. Eur J Immunol. 40, 2837-2347 PubMed link
Kirstein, F., Horsnell, W.G., Kuperman, D.A., Huang, X., Erle, D.J., Lopata, A.L., Brombacher, F. 2010. Expression of IL-4 receptor alpha on smooth muscle cells is not necessary for development of experimental allergic asthma. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 126, 347-354 PubMed link
