Dissecting NK cell reactivity against hepatitis B/D virus and in hepatitis C virus infection (07)

• Subject Area: Immunology
• Term: since 2016
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 272983813

The complexity of the innate immune response mediated by Natural Killer (NK) cells and other tissue-resident Innate Lymphoid Cell (ILC) subsets against different hepatitis viruses remains incompletely understood. Thus, in our project, we will study NK/ILC activation/dysfunction/exhaustion in response to HDV infection or HBV/HDV co-infection using in vitro co-culture systems and cells from hepatitis patients. Results of our study will not only facilitate the development of novel treatment options e.g. for HBV/HDV infection, but will also provide novel insight into general anti-viral mechanisms of NK cells and ILC subsets and their tissue specificity. We will further define the HCV responsive-specific NK subset and expand our previous study to different ILC subsets beyond NK cells not only from human peripheral blood, but also from human liver.

• DFG Programme: CRC/Transregios
• Subproject of: TRR 179: Determinants and dynamics of elimination versus persistence of hepatitis virus infection
• Applicant Institution: Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg
• Project Head: Professorin Dr. Adelheid Cerwenka