Detail

Keywords

Adaptive Immunity; Allergy and Immunology; Basophils; Eosinophils; Immunoglobulin E; Innate Immunity; Mast Cells

Research group(s)

• Infection Biology Research Lab
  Head: Sylvia Knapp
  Research Area: Endogenous modulators of inflammation; Macrophage plasticity in bacterial lung infections; Co- and Super-Infection
  Members:
  Sylvia Knapp
  Philipp Starkl
  Stefanie Widder

Research interests

Our research aims to increase the understanding of the mechanisms of adaptive type 2 immune responses and the biology and functions of innate type 2-related immune effector cells like mast cells, eosinophils and basophils in host defense, physiology and disease. We want to exploit the gained knowledge for the development of novel vaccination and therapeutic strategies against microbial pathogens and for the treatment of allergic diseases.

Techniques, methods & infrastructure

primary cellular models of murine and human mast cells; bacterial (S. aureus; C. rodentium) and viral (Influenza) infection models of lung, skin and gastrointestinal tract; cell-specific in vivo knockout models;

Selected publications

1. Balbino, B. et al., 2018. Approaches to target IgE antibodies in allergic diseases. Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 191, pp.50–64. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pharmthera.2018.05.015.
2. Mukai, K. et al., 2016. IgE and mast cells in host defense against parasites and venoms. Seminars in Immunopathology, 38(5), pp.581–603. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00281-016-0565-1.
3. Starkl, P. et al., 2016. IgE antibodies, FcεRIα, and IgE-mediated local anaphylaxis can limit snake venom toxicity. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 137(1), pp.246–257.e11. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2015.08.005.
4. Tsai, M. et al., 2015. Testing the “toxin hypothesis of allergy”: mast cells, IgE, and innate and acquired immune responses to venoms. Current Opinion in Immunology, 36, pp.80–87. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.coi.2015.07.001.
5. Marichal, T. et al., 2013. A Beneficial Role for Immunoglobulin E in Host Defense against Honeybee Venom. Immunity, 39(5), pp.963–975. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.immuni.2013.10.005.