Felix Meissner

Research Group "Experimental Systems Immunology"

Immunology, Inflammation, Cellular Communication, Proteomics, Systems Biology

Immune reactions in the body are highly coordinated in order to fight infections with tailor-made defense reactions. Felix Meissner and his research group "Experimental Systems Immunology" are hoping to decipher how the immune system's task forces work together by elucidating their communication in molecular detail. Mass spectrometry makes it possible to identify hundreds or even thousands of different proteins in a mixture of molecules. For the first time, Meissner and his team were able to analyze the entirety of messengers emitted by immune cells. Communicating immune cells play a role in all inflammatory reactions in the body, including rheumatism, arteriosclerosis, diabetes, neurodegeneration and many other diseases.

Research Overview

Our immune system has evolved sophisticated strategies to achieve protective immunity. While immune reactions are critical to combat pathogens and maintain tissue homeostasis, its deregulation leads to tissue damage or even inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The high system complexity of the interplay of multiple cell-types each with their own function, however, impedes analysis and interpretation of immune function in health and disease. more