Helmholtz Munich

B cell development and activation

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the most common causes of death in industrialized countries. In recent years, it has become clear that B lymphocytes play an important role in the development of the disease. With a large background of basic research on the development and activation of B cells, we would now like to contribute to a better understanding of the role of these cells in the development of COPD. Ultimately, we want to open new therapeutic options.

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Within the last two decades our lab established a series of conditional mouse models (Notch2-KO, Notch2-KI, LMP1/CD40, CD40/LMP, LMP1/CD30, CD30-KI, CD30-KO) to learn more about the role of important transmembrane receptors in the development, activation, and pathological changes of B lymphocytes. We have shown that B cell specific expression of constitutive active forms of CD40 (LMP1/CD40) and CD30 (LMP1/CD30) leads to lymphomagenesis. Another recent milestone was the discovery of plasticity between mature B cell subpopulations. We are now planning to use our conditional mouse models in the analysis of pathological entities of the lung.

Our conditional mouse models are based on the Cre/lox technology that has been established for more than 20 years and allows cell specific activation or inactivation of selected target genes. Our work is mainly based on the examination of single cells by FACS analysis, fluorescence microscopy of histological sections and RNAseq analyses.

Picture left: lung tissue with iBALT formation (aggregated B- and T-cells)