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News Preiffer 06.2020
Prof. Dr. Alexander Pfeifer (left) and Dr. Thorsten Gnad (right) from the Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University Hospital Bonn.
© Katharina Wislsperger/UKBonn

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Receptor makes mice strong and slim

Study by the University of Bonn identifies molecule that regulates two side effects of aging

Increasing abdominal girth and shrinking muscles are two common side effects of aging. Researchers at the University of Bonn from the Cluster of Excellence ImmunoSensation have discovered a receptor in mice that regulates both effects. Experiments with human cell cultures suggest that the corresponding signaling pathways might also exist in humans. The study, which also involved researchers from Spain, Finland, Belgium, Denmark and the USA, has now been published in the renowned journal "Cell Metabolism".

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Thorsten Gnad, Gemma Navarro, Minna Lahesmaa, Laia Reverte-Salisa, Francesca Copperi, Arnau Cordomi, Jennifer Naumann, Aileen Hochhäuser, Saskia Haufs-Brusberg, Daniela Wenzel, Frank Suhr, Naja Zenius Jespersen, Camilla Scheele, Volodymyr Tsvilovskyy, Christian Brinkmann, Joern Rittweger, Christian Dani, Mathias Kranz, Winnie Deuther-Conrad, Holger K. Eltzschig, Tarja Niemi, Markku Taittonen, Peter Brust, Pirjo Nuutila, Leonardo Pardo, Bernd K. Fleischmann, Matthias Blüher, Rafael Franco, Wilhelm Bloch, Kirsi A. Virtanen, Alexander Pfeifer: Adenosine/A2B receptor signaling ameliorates the effects of ageing and counteracts obesity. Cell Metabolism, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2020.06.006

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New insights into the human immune defense against poxviruses

—An international research team involving Bonn scientist has made an important contribution to understanding the human immune response to poxviruses: The scientists were able to show for the first time that different human cell types recognize poxviruses via different sensors in order to trigger inflammatory responses. At the same time, the team developed the world's first nanobodies that can specifically block the DNA sensor AIM2 – a tool that opens up new possibilities for inflammation and infection research. The paper has now been published in The EMBO Journal.
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Multiple Sclerosis: Potential biomarker linked to progression and brain inflammation identified

—Better ways to detect ongoing brain damage in multiple sclerosis (MS) are urgently needed. An international team of scientists, including ImmunoSensation³ member Prof. Anne-Katrin Pröbstel, has identified a molecular circuit that drives brain injury in MS. In a mouse model, blocking the enzyme Bruton's tyrosine kinase prevented harmful clustering of immune cell and brain tissue demage. Patient data revealed the same immune signaling pattern, suggesting strong translational potential for diagnosis. The study was recently published in Nature Immunology.
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Instructions for building antibodies decoded

—MOG Antibody-associated Disease (MOGAD) is a rare autoimmune disease of the central nervous system. The blood of patients contains antibodies against myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG), a protein in the myelin layer that surrounds the neurons in the brain. It is believed that these antibodies contribute to the destruction of this protective layer in the brain. Researchers at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the Universities of Basel and Bonn, in collaboration with an international team, have now deciphered the construction plan of the anti-MOG antibodies.
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