Protzer Lab
Our scientific interest is to better understand the interaction of hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV) virus with their host and to develop new therapeutic strategies to treat chronic viral hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma.
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About our Research
The main focus of our group is to understand in molecular detail the interaction of HBV with its host and its host cell, the hepatocyte. Hereby, we investigate which cellular pathways are involved in the control of HBV replication, which viral proteins may counteract them and how HBV is activated or inactivated by immune mediators and metabolites. In addition, we use the advanced understanding of HBV molecular biology for developing targeted antiviral strategies. Based on thorough analyses of immune responses, we design novel immunotherapies, test them in the preclinical mouse models we have established and promote preclinical development of the most promising ones.
Publications
Read more2022 Scientific Article in Nature Cancer
Potent high-avidity neutralizing antibodies and T cell responses after COVID-19 vaccination in individuals with B cell lymphoma and multiple myeloma.
2022 Scientific Article in Journal of Fungi
Gut microbial disruption in critically Ill patients with COVID-19-associated pulmonary aspergillosis.
2022 Scientific Article in Frontiers in Immunology
Immune escape pathways from the HBV core18-27 CD8 T cell response are driven by individual HLA class I alleles.
2022 Scientific Article in Frontiers in Immunology
Activation of distinct antiviral T-cell immunity: A comparison of bi- and trispecific T-cell engager antibodies with a chimeric antigen receptor targeting HBV envelope proteins.
2022 Scientific Article in Communications Biology
Multimeric ACE2-IgM fusions as broadly active antivirals that potently neutralize SARS-CoV-2 variants.
2022 Scientific Article in Iranian Journal of Immunology
Optimization of an efficient cell culture hepatitis B infection system for assessment of hepatitis B virus neutralizing monoclonal antibodies.
2022 Scientific Article in Frontiers in Immunology
Association between IgG responses against the nucleocapsid proteins of alphacoronaviruses and COVID-19 severity.
2022 Scientific Article in Vaccines
Improved SARS-CoV-2 neutralization of delta and omicron BA.1 variants of concern after fourth vaccination in hemodialysis patients.
2022 Scientific Article in Human Molecular Genetics
Detailed stratified GWAS analysis for severe COVID-19 in four European populations.
2022 Scientific Article in JHEP Reports
Mitosis of hepatitis B virus-infected cells in vitro results in uninfected daughter cells.
2022 Scientific Article in EBioMedicine
Dynamics of humoral and cellular immune responses after homologous and heterologous SARS-CoV-2 vaccination with ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 and BNT162b2.
2022 Mucosal Immunology
Correction to: Mild COVID-19 imprints a long-term inflammatory eicosanoid- and chemokine memory in monocyte-derived macrophages.
2022 Scientific Article in PLoS Pathogens
Hepatitis B virus X protein counteracts high mobility group box 1 protein-mediated epigenetic silencing of covalently closed circular DNA.
2022 Review in Nature Reviews - Gastroenterology & Hepatology
A roadmap for serum biomarkers for hepatitis B virus: Current status and future outlook.
2022 Scientific Article in Biomolecules
PD-L1 silencing in liver using siRNAs enhances efficacy of therapeutic vaccination for chronic hepatitis B.
2022 Scientific Article in Mucosal Immunology
Mild COVID-19 imprints a long-term inflammatory eicosanoid- and chemokine memory in monocyte-derived macrophages.
2022 Scientific Article in Nature Communications
Long-term hepatitis B virus infection of rhesus macaques requires suppression of host immunity.
2022 Scientific Article in Gut Microbes