CIRRI

Vi forsker i følgende sygdomsområder: Hyppige graviditetskomplikationer som svangerskabsforgiftning (præeklampsi) og væksthæmning af fosteret, samt nedsat fertilitet og gentagne graviditetstab. Endvidere forsker vi i immunsystemets betydning ved brystkræft og modermærkekræft.

Omhandler både klinisk relaterede og mere basalvidenskabelige undersøgelser af regulerende mekanismer i immunforsvaret. Disse studier har betydning for en bedre forståelse af mange forskellige immunrelaterede sygdomme.

Undersøgelser af de molekylære og cellulære mekanismer der modulerer kvindens immunsystem ved kontakten med det delvist vævsfremmede foster under en graviditet. En dysfunktion af disse mekanismer kan have betydning for udvikling af præeklampsi (svangerskabsforgiftning), gentagne spontane aborter og succes ved fertilitetsbehandling.

Der forekommer normalt immunceller i mikromiljøet omkring en kræfttumor, og de besidder anti-tumoraktivitet. Denne aktivitet nedreguleres ofte af signaler fra tumoren, hvilket kan føre til en dårligere prognose for patienten. Vi forsøger at klarlægge specifikke mekanismer, der medfører, at canceren undviger kroppens immunrespons (såkaldt tumor escape).

I en række forskningsprojekter undersøger vi betydningen af immunreguleringen og immunsystemets respons mod kræftcellerne i kræftknuden. Resultater fra disse undersøgelser kan få betydning for forbedringer af diagnostik og cancerimmunterapibehandling.

Basic and clinical investigations of the mechanisms that regulate the immune system. The balance between an aggressive, inflammatory response and a suppressive, tolerogenic response. These studies have implications for a better understanding of immune-related diseases such as autoimmune disease, allergy, and infections.

The fetus is semi-allogenic in relation to the pregnant woman. We study the mechanisms that modulate the pregnant woman’s immune system, maybe even before conception, in such a way that the developing embryo and the fetus are supported. A dysfunction in these mechanisms may be important for the development of preeclampsia, certain cases of recurrent spontaneous abortions, and in cases of infertility that may be treated by optimized assisted reproduction techniques.

Immune effector cells are recruited to tumor sites, and they will have antitumor activity. However, often this activity is down-regulated by tumor-derived signals, which may lead to a significant worse prognosis for the patient.

One such potential important mechanism that leads to tumor escape from the host immune system is a selection of cancer cells that express the immune-modulating Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) class Ib molecules, that are physiologically expressed in the placenta during pregnancy. In a range of research projects, we investigate the importance of immune molecules and cells in regulation of the immune system in the tumor microenvironment.