TRR 237 Nucleic Acid Immunity
print
Breadcrumb Navigation
Content

About Us

Founded in 2018, the Collaborative Research Center (CRC/TRR) 237 is an interdisciplinary research network of the University of Bonn, LMU Munich and TU Dresden that is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG).

Gunther Hartmann (University of Bonn) was the speaker of the CRC for the first funding period, and Veit Hornung (LMU Munich) has taken over as spokesperson for the second funding period. Min Ae Lee-Kirsch (TU Dresden) is the designated spokesperson for a third funding period.

The following institutions are part of the current research network:

 

logos_140_600_lmu

 

 

The scientists working in CRC 237 are interested in gaining new insights into the molecular mechanisms involved in the defense against nucleic acids. With 24 ongoing research projects and an interdisciplinary and highly complementary team of scientists, the CRC is uniquely positioned to address pressing questions in the field:

  1. What are the exact non-self features in nucleic acids that are being detected by nucleic acid sensors or restriction factors?

  2. How do nucleic acid-metabolizing systems govern or contribute to self vs. non-self discrimination?

  3. How are threshold behaviours of nucleic acid sensors and restriction systems realised at the molecular level?

  4. How is the subcellular positioning and trafficking of nucleic acid sensors regulated and how do their signalling cascades operate?

  5. How do defects in pathways of nucleic acid sensing and metabolism trigger systemic autoimmunity and what counter-regulatory mechanisms exist?

  6. What determines the immunogenicity of nucleic acids in the context of infection and vaccination and how can these features be leveraged for nucleic acid-based therapeutic approaches?

  7. Employing systems approaches, can we identify minimal endotypes in patients suffering from dysregulated nucleic acid immune responses, and how can these inform us about underlying pathophysiological mechanisms and guide therapy?

  8. Having learned much from rare monogenic diseases, can we also identify common genetic variants to understand interindividual heterogeneity in Nucleic Acid Immunity?

dfg_logo_schriftzug_blau_foerderung_enThe results of this work will not only provide fundamental insights into the functioning of the immune system but will also provide important building blocks for the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic concepts for a variety of important diseases, including viral infections, sterile inflammatory diseases and cancer.