Academic interests
Bjarne Bogen has an interest in immunology of T and B lymphocytes, autoimmune diseases, immunosurveillance of cancer, and development of more powerful vaccines. Below is a short overview of studies in which many co-workers contributed substantially over the years (see original research reports).
1. Idiotype-driven T-B collaboration, autoimmune diseases and development of B cell cancers. Idiotopes(Id) are antigenic determinants localized to immunoglobulin (Ig) Variable (V) regions. Bogen described that B cells process their Ig receptor (BCR) and that fragments of the variable (V) regions are presented on Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) class II molecules to Id-specific CD4+ T cells. This results in Id-driven T-B collaboration. In subsequent work, he showed that chronic Id-driven T-B collaboration could result in autoimmune diseases and development of B lymphomas (PNAS-89, EMBO-J-89, Cell-91, EMBO-J-93, EJI-99, JI -04, JI -05, JEM-07, Am J Pathol-09).
2. Immunosurveilance of cancer mediated by CD4+ T cells. Bogen showed that Id-specific TCR-transgenic mice resist challenges with Id+ B lymphoma cells and multiple myeloma cells. He showed that Ig secreted by the tumor cells were taken up by dendritic cells and macrophages infiltrating the tumor. These latter cells processed the monoclonal Ig and presented Id-peptides on their MHC II molecules to Id-specific CD4+ T cells that entered the tumor after first beeing stimulated in the draining lymph node. The tumor-infiltrating CD4+ T cells were of a Th1 type and secreted IFNg that activated macrophages to become cytotoxic to the cancer cells (PNAS-94, PNAS -00, Blood -01, Blood -03, Immunity -05, Cancer Res -09, Nat. Commun. -11)
3. Novel vaccine molecules: Troybodies and Vaccibodies. In Troybodies, T cell epitopes are inserted into loops between beta-strands in Ig constant domains. Next, such modified Ig is equipped with V-regions that target antigen presenting cells (APC). This results in enhanced T cell epitope presentation on MHC molecules of the APC, and increasedT cell responses (Nat Biotech-89, PNAS-2001, JI -02, JI-03, EJI-05 etc.). In Vaccibodies, large antigens with intact B cell determinants are inserted into Ig-based homodimers. The Vaccibodies are targeted to APC either by use of natural ligands or scFv specific for APC. Vaccibodies increase both antibody and T cells responses. They may be administered as DNA vaccines. Currently, vaccibodies are developed for a number of differents diseases such as influenza, HIV, tubeculosis and certain cancers.(Mol Ther -06, JI -07, Blood -07, Vaccine -10, Eur J Hematol -11).
Courses taught
- Bjarne Bogen is responsible for the teaching programme in immunology at The Medical Faculty
- He mainly teaches basic immunology in the 3. semester
- He has, together with Ludvig Munthe, written a textbook in immunology (Immunologi, Universitetsforlaget, 2000, 2nd edition 2007)
Background
1977 - MD, University of Oslo
1977-78 Intern (surgery, internal medicine, general practice) at Sandnassjøen Hospital and Lurøy/Træna.
1979-1984 PhD student ans assistent professor, University of Tromsø
1984: PhD University of Tromsø
1985 and parts of 86 and 87: Member and visitor, Basel Institute for Immunology
1986 - present: Associate professor and professor (1993), the Medical Faculty, University of Oslo
1991: Specialist in Immunology and transfusion Medicine (the Norwegian Medical Association).
1995 - present: Senior consultant, Oso University Hospital -Rikshospitalet
1989 - 2004: Adjunct professor, Norwegian college of Veterinary Medicine
1996-97: Sabbatical at Stanford University
2004-2005: Sabbatical at Dana Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard University
Awards
- Innovation Prize , University of Oslo/The Oslo Research Park
- The Medinnova Prize
- The Tano-Aschehoug Prize
- Senior Research Award, U.S. Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation
Collaboration
Bjarne Bogen has over the years collaborated with numerous investigators and labs as should be clear from the list of publications. His research group is presently member of the CoE Centre for Immune Immune Regulation sponsered by the Research Council of Norway.