T Cell Activation and Autoimmune Disease
The main focus of our research is to identify and characterize genetic factors that influence individual susceptibility to develop autoimmune diseases, in particular multiple sclerosis.
About the group
T cells play a crucial role in our defence against infection and cancer, but these cells are also a two-edged sword. Sometimes they start to react against the body they are supposed to defend, leading to autoimmune disease.
How T cells recognize and react to foreign antigens is therefore a key to understand how T cell mediated diseases develop and how they may be prevented or treated.
The last 10 years the research group has therefore focused primarily on elcudiating molecular mechanisms for control of T cell activation, and in particular the role of T cell specific adapter protein (TSAd) in this process.