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.
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.
Deputy Head of the Molecular Targets and Therapeutics Center, Director Virology, VIRO
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Ates Öz, E. ; Su, J. ; Gültan, M. ; Tulessin, M. ; Müller, N. ; Kerth, H.A. ; Singh, S. ; Mogler, C. ; Steiger, K. ; Wettengel, J.M. ; Busch, D. ; Knolle, P. ; Protzer, U. ; Kosinska, A.
High HBV antigen levels drive loss of vaccine-induced CD8+ T-cell function in carrier mice over time.Lainšček, D. ; Malenšek, Š. ; Forstnerič, V. ; Golob-Urbanc, A. ; Orehek, S. ; Bohinc, J. ; Keber, M.M. ; Sotošek, T. ; Esih, H. ; Pečan, P. ; Pantović-Žalig, J. ; Benčina, M. ; Bester, R. ; Protzer, U. ; Jerala, R.
Decoupling reactogenicity from efficacy enables safer mRNA vaccines, AAV gene delivery, and in vivo base editing.Tekinsoy, M. ; Merdan, O. ; Rusen, R. ; Christa, C. ; Müller, K. ; Priller, A. ; Mijočević, H. ; Roggendorf, H. ; Zelger, O. ; Tinnefeld, K. ; Jeske, S.D. ; Vasilev, D. ; Yazici, S. ; Erber, J. ; Hoffmann, D. ; Knolle, P.A. ; Protzer, U.
Long-term humoral immune dynamics in healthcare workers with hybrid and vaccine-induced immunity: The VaCoMRI study.Seidler, A. ; Ambike, S. ; Peters, C. ; Bester, R. ; Sattler, M. ; Geerlof, A. ; Protzer, U.
A single anion exchange chromatography step enables scalable, high-yield purification of hepatitis B virus capsid virus-like particles.Valder, L. ; Grigore, T.G. ; Schaaf, C. ; Bachmann, Q. ; Renders, L. ; Jeske, S.D. ; Lütgehetmann, M. ; Bierbaum, S. ; Hengel, H. ; Dächert, C. ; Protzer, U. ; Wettengel, J.M.
A novel Torque teno virus qPCR assay reveals longitudinal viral load variability among non-immunosuppressed subjects.Sailer, J. ; Gottal, J. ; Kaub, L. ; Jauch, A.T. ; Engler, J. ; Eberhagen, C. ; von Toerne, C. ; Hansen-Palmus, L. ; Wachinger, V. ; Akdogan, B. ; Engelhardt, S. ; Knolle, P. ; DiSpirito, A.A. ; Protzer, U. ; Spasic, M.V. ; Zischka, H.
Cuproptosis in iron overload hepatocytes.Ko, C. ; Zhou, X. ; Bester, R. ; Park, S. ; Park, J. ; Blossey, C. ; Plank, V. ; Hofmann, S. ; Nassal, M. ; Schreiner, S. ; Gao, L. ; Protzer, U.
A new role of class A hepatitis B virus capsid assembly modulators in core protein dynamics and covalently closed circular DNA replenishment.Jakwerth, C.A. ; Illi, S. ; Charles, H. ; Oelsner, M. ; Gabr, A.A. ; Zissler, U.M. ; Erb, A. ; Feuerherd, M. ; Drost, F. ; Büttner, M. ; Schubert, B. ; Maison, N. ; Omony, J. ; Weckmann, M. ; Grychtol, R. ; Dittrich, A.M. ; Foth, S. ; Skevaki, C. ; Trojan, T. ; van Koningsbruggen-Rietschel, S. ; Hansen, G. ; Bahmer, T. ; Rabe, K.F. ; Brinkmann, F. ; Kopp, M.V. ; Protzer, U. ; Chaker, A. ; Schaub, B. ; von Mutius, E. ; Schmidt-Weber, C.B.
Nasal epithelial immune signatures are associated with age-dependent asthma trajectories in early life.Michler, T. ; Kosinska, A. ; Merdan, O. ; Hagen, P. ; Bunse, T. ; Öz, E.A. ; Su, J. ; Busch, D.H. ; Mogler, C. ; Protzer, U.
Long-term antigen reduction does not achieve durable HBV control in mice but enhances therapeutic vaccine efficacy.Gallus, C. ; Ayuk, F. ; Beckhove, P. ; Besser, D. ; Bornhäuser, M. ; Büning, H. ; Cantz, T. ; Conrad, C. ; Eichmüller, S. ; Gazlig, T. ; Graessner, H. ; Grüters-Kieslich, A. ; Huber, N. ; Hudecek, M. ; Kurz, T. ; Lamprecht, B. ; Luger, E. ; Protzer, U. ; Schambach, A. ; Schäfer, R. ; Serrano, P. ; Stegemann, S. ; Stöckert, I. ; von Kalle, C. ; Weber, J. ; Baum, C.
The German national strategy for gene- and cell-based therapies: Generating Impact by Employing a Novel Multi-Stakeholder Approach.Olguín-Contreras, L.F. ; Heep, J. ; Schiller, L. ; Loffredo‐Verde, E. ; Festag, M.M. ; Kai, M. ; Färber, S. ; Gültan, M. ; Tulessin, M. ; Wilde, S. ; Wisskirchen, K. ; Nößner, E. ; Protzer, U.
Modular delivery of co-stimulatory signals through a PD-1-based immunoswitch receptor improves the functionality of Hepatitis B Virus-specific engineered T cells.Su, J. ; Hamway, Y. ; Mistretta, D. ; Liao, B.-H. ; Ma, Z. ; Schluckebier, J. ; Xie, Z. ; Polezhaeva, O. ; Jradi, W. ; Braun, S. ; Robb, J. ; Main, L.F. ; Mukherjee, P. ; Jubran-Rudolf, L. ; Steiger, K. ; Pino, P. ; Tenbusch, M. ; D’Ippolito, E. ; Ebert, G. ; Protzer, U. ; Costa, C.P.d.
Helminth infection modulates the immunogenicity of COVID-19 vaccines in mice without compromising protective efficacy.Maurer, H.C. ; Schult, D. ; Koyumdzhieva, P. ; Reitmeier, S. ; Middelhoff, M. ; Rasch, S. ; List, M. ; Janssen, K. ; Steiger, K. ; Protzer, U. ; Schmid, R.M. ; Neuhaus, K. ; Haller, D. ; Quante, M. ; Lahmer, T.
Maurer et al. Gut Microbial Disruption in Critically Ill Patients with COVID-19-Associated Pulmonary Aspergillosis. (vol 8 , 1265 , 2022).Mihatsch, L. ; Bartl, K. ; Lange de Luna, J. ; Wallraven, P. ; Gerrer, K. ; Mittelstraß, K. ; Mautner, J. ; Nößner, E. ; Protzer, U. ; Behrends, U. ; Bauer, T. ; Körber, N.
The composition of MDSC-subpopulations PMN-like, M-like, and e-like MDSC is associated with the severity of infectious mononucleosis in pediatric patients.Vogler, J. ; Ambike, S. ; Velkov, S. ; Cheng, C.-C. ; Neubecker, P. ; Fischhaber, N. ; Mallick, P. ; Martan, I. ; Sauerhering, L. ; von Brunn, A. ; Protzer, U. ; Michler, T.
Comparative genomics identifies small interfering RNA with activity against all five human betacoronaviruses.Su, J. ; Kosinska, A. ; Miko, S. ; Ates Öz, E. ; Laer, D.v. ; Kimpel, J. ; Protzer, U.
Protein priming followed by a replication-competent VSV-GP vector boost induces sustained immune control in therapeutic hepatitis B vaccination.Kerth, H.A. ; Kächele, M. ; Müller, N. ; Singh, S. ; Tulessin, M. ; Sacherl, J. ; Ates Öz, E. ; Su, J. ; Bester, R. ; Miko, S. ; Steiger, K. ; Mogler, C. ; Busch, D.H. ; Wettengel, J.M. ; Protzer, U. ; Kosinska, A.
Therapeutic hepatitis B vaccine employing DNA prime – MVA boost scheme requires additional priming with recombinant HBsAg to elicit an adequate antibody response.Battistella, S. ; Protzer, U. ; Forns, X.
Elebsiran and pegylated-IFNα: Progress toward a functional cure for chronic hepatitis B.Kosinska, A. ; Kächele, M. ; Kerth, H.A. ; Mück-Häusl, M. ; Ates Öz, E. ; Gültan, M. ; Hansen-Palmus, L. ; Sacherl, J. ; Ko, C. ; Festag, J. ; Lehmann, M.H. ; Mogler, C. ; Steiger, K. ; Knolle, P.A. ; Bauer, T. ; Volz, A.K. ; Protzer, U.
MVA-HBVac-A novel vaccine vector that allows pan-genotypic targeting of hepatitis B virus by therapeutic vaccination.Wu, X. ; Quan, D. ; Li, W. ; Wisskirchen, K. ; Wu, W. ; Zhou, Y. ; Liu, Y.P. ; Wan, X. ; Wang, X. ; Zhang, X. ; Yang, L. ; Zheng, M. ; Zhang, K. ; Protzer, U. ; Du, S. ; Qu, X.
Clinical results of an HBV-specific T-cell receptor-T-cell therapy (SCG101) in patients with HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma treated in an investigator-initiated, interventional trial.Contact