Immunological and viral determinants of graft hepatitis C after liver transplantation in the context of novel antiviral therapies (B02)

• Subject Area: Gastroenterology
• Term: from 2007 to 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 24899777

Chronic graft rejection due to the bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) after lung transplantation is a major obstacle limiting the long-term success. Project B3 has investigated these processes using patient material and humanized mouse models. They found that the number of CD4+FOXP3+CD127- cells shortly (3 weeks) after lung transplantation correlated strongly with the later development of BOS. As graft-specific Tregs are more potent in preventing graft rejection as compared to polyspecific Tregs, B3 will test this approach in the humanized mouse model. They will also characterize the immune function (T-, NK cells, DSAs) in lung-transplanted patients and monitor the experiments in humanized mice models. In addition, they will investigate the role of NK cells in lung transplantation. Finally, they will test the efficacy of designer NK cells expressing the immunomodulatory cytokine IL-22 to prevent BOL development in the humanized mouse models.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 738: Optimisation of Conventional and Innovative Transplants
• Applicant Institution: Medizinische Hochschule Hannover
• Project Heads: Professorin Dr. Sandra Ciesek, from 7/2015 until 2/2016; Professor Dr. Markus Cornberg, until 6/2015; Professor Dr. Tim F. Greten, until 1/2010; Professor Dr. Thomas von Hahn, since 7/2015; Professor Dr. Heiner Wedemeyer, from 1/2015 until 1/2018