Autoimmunity

BIOGRAPHY

ACADEMIC POSITION:
Head of Division, Division of Developmental Immunology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg

RESEARCH INTERESTS:
The division headed by Prof Bruno Kyewski is studying the question of how the immune system discriminates between self and foreign. During maturation in the thymus gland, a subset of defense cells called T cells undergo a selection procedure that sorts out cells directed against self antigens. A main area of research is the study of tolerance mechanisms responsible for tolerating organ-specific self antigens. Special attention is devoted to genes providing the blueprints for tumor-specific antigens as well as genes that play a key role in common autoimmune diseases. A particularly interesting fact is that the thymus induces self tolerance against a multitude of tissue-specific antigens. The studies, which are carried out in animal models and in humans, are relevant for the development of effective immune therapies of tumors and the treatment of autoimmune diseases.