The LSEC-immune interface in liver development and cancer metastasis (C02)

• Subject Area: Cardiology, Angiology ; Immunology
• Term: since 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 394046768

Project C02 will (i) dissect the liver endothelial cell-immune cell interplay during liver organogenesis and determine mechanisms of immune-mediated liver endothelial cell diversification, and (ii) unravel the spatial and temporal liver endothelial cell-immune interactions in liver cancer metastasis to assess the role of immune checkpoints and antigen presentation by liver endothelial cells during malignant diseases. The experiments will rely on mouse strains with conditional deficiencies of PD-L1, HVEM, and MHC molecules in liver endothelial cells. Together, the project will reveal fundamental molecular insights into the biology of the liver endothelial cell - immune cell interface, possibly opening novel avenues for the treatment of liver diseases.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1366: Vascular Control of Organ Function
• Applicant Institution: Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg
• Project Head: Professorin Dr. Adelheid Cerwenka