Our goal is to understand the immunological opportunities and challenges arising from the enormous diversity of adaptive T cell receptor combinations. Therefore, we monitor the dynamics of T cell receptor repertoires during immune responses to pathogens and in the course of autoimmune diseases. In particular, we are interested in the role of γδ T cells at the interface between innate and adaptive immunity.
Prof. Dr. Immo Prinz
T cells develop in the thymus, where each of them rearranges a different αβ or γδ T cell receptor. The theoretical diversity of these T cell receptors is more than a quadrillion, which allows for the potential recognition of almost infinite numbers of antigens by different T cell receptors. We hypothesize that the individual T cell receptor sequences determine the functional differentiation of αβ or γδ T cells.
In summary, we aim to understand how individual T cell receptors instruct αβ and γδ T cells to mount a beneficial response to infection and cancer, or to eventually drive adverse autoimmune reactions.
In the long run, the “good” T cell receptors could be used for immunotherapy and the “bad” T cell receptors targeted to dampen autoimmunity.