Pioneering work with nanobodies
Immunological research at the University Hospital of Bonn (UKB) is experiencing a significant boost thanks to the recent funding commitment. Prof. Florian I. Schmidt from the Institute of Innate Immunity has received a prestigious Consolidator Grant from the European Research Council worth two million euros. This funding is a testament to the high level of immunological research in North Rhine-Westphalia.
The heart of the study, which will begin in 2024, is to examine the control of inflammatory responses in the body through specific cellular signaling pathways. Nanobodies – small, innovative proteins derived from alpaca antibodies – play a central role. These nanobodies could make a crucial contribution to treating autoinflammatory diseases more effectively.
Inflammation is a fundamental response of the immune system to pathogens or damage to the body. They mobilize the body's own defense system, which leads to a specific immune response. Correct regulation of these reactions is crucial to prevent overreactions of the immune system and resulting diseases such as ulcerative colitis or even cancer.
Prof. Schmidt, a member of the Cluster of Excellence ImmunoSensation2 and the transdisciplinary research area “Life & Health” at the University of Bonn, focuses on the negative regulation of the immune system. He suspects that certain proteins could act as central regulators to weaken or suppress the immune response. By using CRISPR/Cas9 technology, cDNA screenings and specially developed nanobodies, his team will research the function of these proteins and potentially discover new therapeutic approaches.
Source: Medizin.NRW
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Further information about immunology research at the UKB can be found here:
