Prof. Dr. Jan Lünemann

 

Main Goals, Keywords

Our research aims to understand mechanisms leading to neuroinflammatory diseases such as multiple sclerosis and to develop novel approaches for therapy and prevention.

Group Members

1 Professor, 1 Postdoc, 4 Graduate Students, 1 Master Student, 1 Research Assistant.

Previous, Current, and Future Research

• Infectious triggers and genetic susceptibility factors in MS

• Innate and adaptive autoimmunity in neuroinflammation

• Biomarkers for disease classification and treatment response in MS and autoimmune neuropathies

• Mechanisms of immunotherapy and development of novel therapeutic strategies to treat neuroinflammatory diseases

Techniques and Equipment

Standard protocols in immunology (cell culture techniques, flow cytometry, cell sorting, cytokine detection assays, ELISPOT, ELISA), cell and molecular biology, protein biochemistry (immunhisto- and -cytochemistry, confocal microscopy, single cell PCR, real-time PCR, siRNA, western blot analysis, lentiviral techniques). Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis models (active immunization and T cell transfer). In vivo immunology using transgenic mice.

Selected Publications

• Comabella, M., Montalban, X., Münz, C., Lünemann, J.D. Targeting Dendritic Cells to Treat Multiple Sclerosis. Nat Rev Neurol, in press (2010).
  
• Lünemann, J.D., Tintoré, M., Messmer, B., Strowig, T., Rovira, A., Perkal, H., Caballero, E., Münz, C., Montalban, X., Comabella, M. Elevated EBNA1 Immune Responses Predict Conversion to Multiple Sclerosis. Ann Neurol, 67:159-169 (2010).
  
• Tackenberg, B., Jelcic, I., Baerenwaldt, A., Oertel, W., Sommer, N., Nimmerjahn, F., Lünemann, J.D. Impaired Inhibitory Fc-gamma Receptor IIB Expression on B cells in CIDP. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci., 106: 4788-4792 (2009).

Funding

Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF), Gemeinnützige Hertie Stiftung, Betty and David Koetser Foundation, Swiss Multiple Sclerosis Society, Baxter BioScience Grants Program, Industry, University of Zürich