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Kretschmer Group

In a healthy organism, regulatory T (Treg) cells expressing the transcription factor Foxp3 suppress fatal immune responses against self, thereby preventing catastrophic autoimmunity. Understanding the biology of Foxp3+ Treg cells will help to harness their potent suppressor function against unwanted immune responses underlying autoimmune diseases or the destruction of transplanted hematopoietic stem cells.

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Extrathymic differentiation of Foxp3- precursors to Foxp3+ Treg. During peripheral Treg de novo generation, antigen-specific naïve CD4+Foxp3- T cells undergo a series of differentiation steps that are characterized by differential surface marker expression. Induced Foxp3 protein expression is preceded by early modulation of CD69 and CD62L expression, followed by up-regulation of CD25 that marks Foxp3– precursor cells precommintted to differentiate into stable Foxp3+ Treg
Research

Molecular and Cellular Immunology/Immune Regulation
Portrait of Prof. Dr. Karsten Kretschmer © CRTD
Group Leader

Prof. Dr. Karsten Kretschmer
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Future projects and goals

  • Identify molecular pathways that govern the biology of Foxp3+ Treg cells, including cell signaling, gene transcription, and epigenetic regulation.
  • Dissect Foxp3+ Treg cell heterogeneity, with an emphasis on immune and non-immune functions of developmental sublineages.
  • Establish approaches to enhance Foxp3+ Treg cell activity for promoting antigen-specific immune tolerance in autoimmune diseases.
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Prof. Dr. Karsten Kretschmer

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