Research Groups
Cytokines and Disease
Research Interests and Description
Group Leader: Frank Brombacher, PhDGroup Members
Research Interests
Immunological mechanisms of host protection in infectious and non-infectious diseases.
Description of Research
The Group investigates immunological mechanisms in experimental murine models for human diseases. Major general topics include cytokine network and regulation, lymphocytes differentiation and function, dendritic cell and macrophage activation, as well as the role of non-immunological effector cells in health/disease like smooth muscle cells, goblet cells, activated by IL-4 and IL13. Current disease models under investigations include:Bacterial Infectious Diseases
• Tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (aerosol)
• Listeriosis caused by Listeria monocytogenes
Parasitic Infectious Diseases
• African trypanosomiasis caused by Trypanosoma brucei/evansi/congolense
• Cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania major
• Schistosomiasis (Bilharzia) caused by Schistosoma mansoni
• Hookworm caused by Nippostrongylus brasiliensis
Non-infectious Diseases
• Allergic inflammation, induced by Ovalbumin and Anisakis
• Colitis, chemically induced by Oxazalone
• Fibrosis, chemically induced by Bleomycin
Our research strategy is based on gain of knowledge by a loss of function approaches in knockout and knockdown animal models. This includes the generation and characterisation of novel conditional gene deficient mouse strains (Table 1). Together with transcriptomic approaches the significance of genes, factors and cells for host protection and failure thereof are uncovered and possible factors for host-directed drug targeting identified. This support our long-term goal for the development of safe and cost- effective drug and vaccination strategies.
Recent Publications
Dewals, B., Hoving, J.C., Leeto, M., Marillier, R.G., Govender, U., Cutler, A.J., Horsnell, W.G.C., Brombacher, F. 2009. IL-4Ra responsiveness of non-CD4 T cells contributes to resistance in Schistosoma mansoni infection investigated in pan-T cell-specific IL-4Rα-deficient mice. J. Am. Pathol. 175, 706-716
Brombacher, F., Arendse, B., Peterson, R., Hölscher,
A., Hölscher, C. 2009. Analyzing classical and alternative macrophage
activation in macrophage/neutrophil-specific IL-4 receptor-alpha-deficient
mice. Methods Mol Biol. 531, 225-252
Magez, S., Schwegmann, A., Atkinson, R., Claes, F., Drennan, M., De Baetselier, P., Brombacher. F. 2008. The role of B-cells and IgM antibodies in paratemia, anemia, and VSG switching in Trypanosoma brucei-infected mice. PLoSpathogen 4, e000122
Schwegmann, A., Brombacher, F. 2008. Host-directed drug targeting of factors hijacked by pathogens. Science Signaling 1, re8
Schwegmann, A., Guler, R., Cutler, A.J., Arendse, B., Horsnell, W.G.,
Flemming, A., Kottmann, A.H., Ryan, G., Hide, W., Leitges, M., Seoighe,
C., Brombacher, F. 2007. Protein kinase C {delta} is essential for
optimal macrophage-mediated phagosomal containment of Listeria
monocytogenes. PNAS 104, 16251-16256
Horsnell, W.G.C., Cutler, A.J., Hoving, C., Mearns, H., Myburg, E., Arendse, B., Finkelman, F.D., Owens, G.K., Erle, D., Brombacher, F. 2007. Delayed goblet cell hyperplasia and worm expulsion in smooth muscle cell specific IL-4Ra deficient mice. PLoSpathogen, 162, 7302-7308
