—The inflammasome complex is able to sense intrinsic and extrinsic danger signals. Its activation induces an inflammatory response and pyroptotic cell death. ImmunoSensation² Member Prof. Matthias Geyer and his team, together with colleagues from the University of Cologne, were now able to assign a directionality to NLRP3 filament formation. This finding has the potential to conceivably stop inflammation at the "growing end", and thus bring chronic inflammatory diseases to a halt. The study has now been…
Day of Immunology - ImmunoSensation at Bonn city center
—On the occasion of the Day of Immunology, the scientists of the Cluster of Excellence ImmunoSensation² once again presented their research in the city center of Bonn. Anyone interested in immunology could gain a direct insight into current research projects and talk to scientists. In addition, visitors could extract DNA from bananas under supervision or take a look into one of the oversized organ models.
—Researchers of ImmunoSensation² at the Universities of Bonn together with colleagues at the University of Sao Paulo have succeeded in mitigating chronic inflammation in mice using customized "mini-antibodies". These nanobodies enabled them to dissolve molecular complexes in tissue that normally activate the immune system. The nanobodies produced may in future help to slow down unwanted inflammatory reactions that cause diseases such as arthritis or neurodegeneration. The study is published in the journal EMBO Molecular Medicine.
ImmunoSensation participates in research network CANTAR
—The new research network CANTAR (CANcer TARgeting) in the field of oncology aims to develop new chemical substances to identify specific driving pathways of cancer and to explore how cancer can "escape" the immune system. The lead partner is the University of Cologne, with Humboldt Professor Dr. Henning Walczak of the Center for Biochemistry as designated spokesperson. ImmunoSensation² Member Prof. Dr. Michael Hölzel, director of the Institute for Experimental Oncology at the University Hospital Bonn, is involved.…
—Hydrocephalus in children often has completely different causes than previously assumed. This is the conclusion of an international study with a substantial participation by the University of Bonn. The researchers identified a series of mutations that cause disruption of early brain development. The characteristic enlargements of the fluid-filled cavities in the brain are a consequence of…
Felix Meißner receives prestigious ERC Consolidator Grant
—Inflammatory processes are a fundamental part of the body's defense system. But how are these processes regulated at the molecular level? How do the involved cell types coordinate their action? These are the questions that biochemist and systems immunologist Prof. Dr. Felix Meißner of the Bonn Cluster of Excellence ImmunoSensation² at the University Hospital Bonn is addressing. For his research, he now receives the coveted Consolidator Grant of the European…
"Science for Ukraine" - Information for Scientists
—We are a research consortium focused on innate immunity and welcome researchers in this field at all early career stages. The Cluster Coordination Office can advise you on finding available positions in our groups and applying for funding, or arrange short-term internships. Housing is not available, but we can help find it. Just contact us!
applications_immunosensation(at)ukbonn.de
—The ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has caused an imminent urge for both antiviral therapeutical drugs and vaccines. While the development of vaccines was accomplished in a remarkably short timeframe, the identification of direct antiviral treatments has progressed comparatively slowly. In the light of the further risk of pandemics in the future, however, there remains need for direct antiviral drugs and treatments.…
—Patients suffering from Multiple Sclerosis (MS) often complain of more severe disease symptoms after consuming dairy products. Researchers of the Cluster of Excellence ImmunoSensation² at the University of Bonn, together with colleagues at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, have now found a possible cause for this: Casein, a protein in cow's milk, can trigger inflammation that damages myelin sheaths around nerve cells. The study was able to demonstrate this link in mice, but also found evidence of a…
