Institute of Innate Immunity
Medical Faculty, University of Bonn University Hospital of Bonn Biomedical Center, 1G007 Sigmund-Freud-Strasse 25 53127 Bonn
The Latz Lab has a longstanding interest in deciphering the molecular
mechanisms of innate immune receptor activation. In particular, the lab
is interested in understanding how innate receptors interact with their
ligands and how this molecular interaction leads to receptor activation.
Recently, we have also focused on the molecular details of the
mechanisms that lead to the activation of the NLRP3 and AIM2
inflammasome. The NLRP3 inflammasome can respond to a broad range of
cellular stressors and to substances that indicate metabolic
derangements such as aggregated peptides, crystals of monosodium urate
(forming in gout) or crystals of cholesterol that are found in
atherosclerotic plaques. One goal of the research is to translate the
molecular understanding of innate immune receptor activation into the
generation of molecular tools that could lead to the development of
specific diagnostics for inflammatory materials. Another goal is to
devise means to pharmacologically interfere with the activation of
innate immune receptors in order to develop novel approaches to treat
inflammatory diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease or atherosclerosis.
