They discovered how the immune system is kept in check
—The body’s powerful immune system must be regulated, or it may attack our own organs. Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi are awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2025 for their groundbreaking discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance that prevents the immune system from harming the body.
—the MIB Future Panel 2025, organized by the Medical Imaging Center Bonn (MIB) and the Transfer Team of the Medical Faculty Bonn, once again offered an exciting platform for exchange among science, clinics, start-ups, industry, and investors — with a special focus on medical imaging and artificial intelligence (AI).
—What effects does severe obesity have on the lungs? A research team led by Prof. Dr. Veronika Lukacs-Kornek from the ‘ImmunoSensation2’ Cluster of Excellence at the University of Bonn and the Institute for Molecular Medicine and Experimental Immunology (IMMEI) at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) investigated this question. The results suggest that obesity causes the lungs to age faster. The findings have been published in the journal ‘Cell Reports’.
Human Immunome Project Announces Scientific Partner Network
—The Human Immunome Project (HIP) – a global NGO using artificial intelligence and big data to unlock the secrets of the human immune system in health and disease – today announced its Scientific Partner Network with nine founding institutional members on five continents. This landmark alliance brings together the world’s leading systems immunologists, clinical scientists, AI experts, and human biologists to establish common human study protocols and data standardization approaches that will be used to build the largest dataset of human immunological profiles.
—For immune cells, the actin cytoskeleton is more than a structural scaffold. Immune cells can migrate to sites of infection or form precise, short-lived contacts with other cells, by constantly reshaping their actin cytoskeleton. Genetic errors in the molecular machinery controlling actin dynamics lead to impaired immunity, and often to autoimmunity and chronic inflammation. An overview of the current state of research on immune-related actinopathies, prepared by scientists arround ImmunoSensation² member Prof. Kaan Boztug, has now been published in Nature Reviews Immunology.
—Outstanding junior researchers in immunology from all over the world gathered in Maria Laach, Germany, this September. The monastery was the venue of the 4th ImmunoSensation2–IFReC International School on Advanced Immunology. The series was successfully launched in 2022 in Japan as a joint endeavor of ImmunoSensation² and our partner IFReC in Osaka, Japan. It is held annually, alternating between Germany and Japan, connecting the next generation of interdisciplinary immunologists and offering a new educational opportunity for outstanding PhD students and junior postdocs.
—On Sunday, September 14th 2025, the NeuVa Art Lab started its Mandala workshop series at Bonn University’s Impulse - House for Innovation and Creativity. The event brought together scientists, artists, and the public to explore the connections between brain research and artistic expression. Together, complex brain structures are resembled in form of mandala artworks, that will be presented in an exhibition by the end of the project. NeuVa Art is a joined project by Prof. Carmen Ruiz de Almodóvar of the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the University of Bonn and textile artist Paula Urrutia.
—With the "Femmunity Café", a new Science Communication format opened its doors in Bonn on September 5th. The series offers a unique opportunity for the public to engage with scientists on the menstrual cycle, immunity, and women’s health. The event blends a relaxed café atmosphere with expert knowledge, creating a space where curiosity and conversation around topics mostly not publicly discussed are welcomed and current scientific insights are made excessible to everyone.
—Too much fat can be unhealthy: how fat cells, so-called adipocytes, develop, is crucial for the function of the fat tissue. That is why a team led by researchers from the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the University of Bonn investigated the influence of primary cilia dysfunction on adipocyte precursor cells in a mouse model. They found that overactivation of the Hedgehog signaling pathway causes abnormal development into connective tissue-like cells instead of white fat cells. Their findings have now been published in The EMBO Journal.
