—Bonn researchers have discovered how a small, naturally occurring RNA molecule in the kidney activates a mutated immune receptor, triggering a chain reaction. In cooperation with Nanyang Technological University Singapore and the University Hospital Würzburg, among others, the study provides an explanation for how a point mutation in the immune receptor RIG-I transforms the body's defense system into a self-destructive force and causes severe organ-specific autoimmune diseases. The results have now been published in the journal Science Immunology.
—Dr. Anna Aschenbrenner, a researcher at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) in Bonn, has received the Tobias-Welte Prize from the German Sepsis Society, endowed with 3,000 Euros. She was honored for her pioneering work published in Cell, in which she and her team uncovered the molecular mechanisms underlying the life-saving effects of dexamethasone in severe COVID-19.
—Precision is crucial for immune cells: natural killer (NK) cells and T cells eliminate infected or transformed cells by releasing targeted, highly toxic particles. A new study from the CeMM (Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences), the St. Anna Children’s Cancer Research Institute, the Medical University of Vienna, the Medical University of Graz, the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the University of Bonn offers deeper insight into how these so-called cytotoxic granules are released.
—Professor Anne-Katrin Pröbstel, Managing Director of the Center of Neurology and Director of the Clinic for Neuroimmunology at the University Hospital Bonn, is the recipient of the „WeAreNeuroimmunology“ Mid-Career Award of the International Society of Neuroimmunology (ISNI). She is honored for her work on the role of B cells and antibodies and the influence of gut microbiota on immune cells in neuroinflammatory diseases.
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.
