Dendritic Cell Development and Function – AG Barbara Schraml
Dendritic cells are versatile controllers of immune responses and tissue homeostasis that sense pathogens and damage to initiate the bodies' defense. Our research focuses on understanding the precise organ-specific functions of these cells in immunity and in the context of their local tissue environment. Our methods spectrum includes multi-plex flow cytometry and microscopy, in vitro and in vivo functional analysis of dendritic cells, as well as gene expression analysis on bulk population and single cell level.
Our research focuses on understanding the functions of dendritic cells in immunity. Dendritic cells, along with monocytes and macrophages, comprise a family of cells called mononuclear phagocytes. They are versatile controllers of the immune system with crucial roles in immune regulation and tissue homeostasis. An important question is to what extent the functions of these mononuclear phagocytes are dictated by their unique ontogeny versus the environmental cues they receive from their surroundings. These questions are in part addressed using mouse models that allow for the definition and visualization of dendritic cells based on their ontogenetic descendence from committed precursors. The major challenges in the design of future therapies are to target specific components of the immune response in the absence of general immunosuppression. Understanding the unique functions of dendritic cells in the context of their microenvironment will help determine their potential for targeted immunotherapy.
Amon L, Vurnek D, Seichter A, Tchitashvili G, Kaszubowski T, Mroz M, Debeuf, N, Vogler T, Küpper N, Rengarajan KR, Lächele L, Tochoedo NR, Baranska A, Autenrieth SE, Nimmerjahn F, Hildner K, Pfeffer K, Schraml BU, Heger L, Lambrecht BN, Lehmann CHK, Dudziak D. (2025 Dec 23) GM-CSF and specific type 2 cytokines induce CD103+ and CD301b+ cell states in cDC1s and cDC2s. Cell Rep. 44(12):116589. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2025.116589.
Hamsa Narasimhan, Maria L. Richter, Ramin Shakiba, Nikos E. Papaioannou, Christina Stehle, Kaushikk Ravi Rengarajan, Isabel Ulmert, Arek Kendirli, Clara de la Rosa, Pin-Yu Kuo, Abigail Altman, Philipp Münch, Saba Mahboubi Vanessa Küntzel, Amina Sayed, Eva-Lena Stange, Jonas Pes, Alina Ulezko Antonova, Carlos-Filipe Pereira, Ludger Klein, Diana Dudziak, Marco Colonna, Natalia Torow, Mathias W. Hornef, Björn E. Clausen, Martin Kerschensteiner, Katharina Lahl, Chiara Romagnani, Maria Colomé-Tatché, and Barbara U. Schraml (2025 Feb 24) RORγt-expressing dendritic cells are functionally versatile and evolutionarily conserved antigen-presenting cells. PNAS 122 (9) e2417308122. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.241730812.
Kövilein J, Sorbie A, Khaloian S, Küntzel V, von Stern M, Ahmed M, Jarosch S, Remke M, Metwaly A, Reuss EM, Busch DH, Allez M, Steiger K, Schraml B, Coleman OI, Haller D. Susceptibility to inflammatory bowel diseases promotes invasive carcinomas in a murine model of ATF6-driven colon cancer. J Crohns Colitis. 2025 Jul 3;19(7):jjaf102. doi: 10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjaf102
Johannes Woelk, Hamsa Narasimhan, Christa Pfeifhofer-Obermair, Barbara U. Schraml, Natascha Hermann-Kleiter (2025 Jan 07) NR2F6 regulates stem cell hematopoiesis and myelopoiesis in mice. Front. Immunol. Volume 15-2024. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2024.1404805
Hongkui Xiao, Isabel Ulmert, Luisa Bach, Johanna Huber, Hamsa Narasimhan, Ilia Kurochkin, Yinshui Chang, Signe Holst, Urs Mörbe, Lili Zhang, Andreas Schlitzer, Carlos-Filipe Pereira, Barbara U. Schraml, Dirk Baumjohann & Katharina Lahl (2024 Apr 30) Genomic deletion of Bcl6 differentially affects conventional dendritic cell subsets and compromises Tfh/Tfr/Th17 cell responses. Nature Communications 15: 3554. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-46966-6. PMID: 38688934
