Complement Research

My research group focusses on the complement system, a major part of immunology. It is the central innate immune defense cascade within our plasma that under healthy conditions is pivotal in protecting the host against infections. It eliminates pathogens through direct killing, opsonization for phagocytic clearance, recruiting immune cells and inducing inflammatory responses. In order to achieve an effective defense mechanism, complement is activated continuously on any surface it encounters. Moreover, complement augments immunoglobulins. However, complement-mediated damage of host tissues needs to be prevented. This is maintained through a delicate balance in complement activation and regulation, in which host cells and surfaces are protected by soluble and membrane-bound complement regulators. During many immunological and inflammatory diseases, the complement system is out of balance or dysregulated, causing tissue damage and inflammation. 

My group investigates the molecular mechanisms underlying complement dysregulation observed in hematological, immunological and inflammatory diseases. By determining the causes of disbalance, points of therapeutic interventions are identified and explored to restore the complement system. With this we aim to reduce or replace plasma-based therapies. Furthermore, understanding the consequences of interfering within this powerful and critical system has become even more relevant with the emerging novel therapeutics that target complement proteins. My research is focused on the molecular mechanisms of complement regulation by endogenous complement proteins and how dysregulation of the complement system contributes to or causes disease. We employ various biomolecular techniques, develop in house antibodies and assays, and more recently started to develop human cell-based and organ-on-a-chip models to mimic complement-mediated diseases and perform drug tests.