Bacterial infections & immunity
Bacteria, Complement, Antibodies
Research aim
To contribute to development of anti-bacterial immunotherapies by providing a scientific understanding of the mechanisms by which antibodies and complement induce bacterial immune clearance.
About us
Our lab is fascinated by the molecular interplay between bacteria and the human immune system. We try to understand how antibodies and complement drive killing of bacteria. Human immune protection against invading bacteria critically depends on the complement system, a large protein network that directly destroys bacterial cells or supports bacterial killing via phagocytes. The ability of complement to kill bacteria could be exploited for effective antibacterial therapies. However, identification and therapeutic development of ‘complement-enhancing’ antibodies is hampered by our limited knowledge of the processes underlying antibody-dependent complement activation on bacteria.
Our main research goals:
1. Understand the molecular mechanisms of complement activation and pore formation on bacteria and the cellular and molecular events underlying bacterial killing by phagocytes.
2. Develop innovative ways to fully optimize vaccination strategies and therapeutic antibodies to combat bacterial infections.
3. Discover and develop novel complement inhibitors to combat inflammatory disorders.
We actively participate in valorization activities, especially in the field of vaccine development, therapeutic antibodies in infectious diseases and inflammatory diseases. Also, we contribute to education in the field of molecular immunology, particularly in the field of complement biology and infection.