Prof. Markus Feuerer
Deputy Scientific Director LIT & Head of Research Division | Immunology
Immune-associated diseases pose an existential challenge to aging societies and their healthcare systems. In some cases, such as autoimmune diseases and chronic inflammation, as well as in transplant rejections, the immune system actually contributes to the advancement of the disease. This is often due to an overactive or misdirected immune response. In other diseases, such as cancer or chronic infections, it is an insufficient immune response that leads to disease progression. Understanding tissue-to-immune-cell communication and how immune responses are coordinated in the context of tissue is therefore crucial to being able to manipulate immune reactions.
And it is precisely in this area that the Research Division Immunology is conducting its research: Our core focus is on the ability of specialized regulatory immune cells—such as regulatory T cells (Treg)—to direct local immune responses, as well as to organize tissue repair and tissue homeostasis. Part of our mission is to clarify the basic molecular mechanisms of immune-cell differentiation in tissue, as well as their function and interaction with tissue cells.
Research at the interface of tissue-to-immune system communication is still in its infancy. But a better understanding of the mechanisms involved will be critical in the development of new immunotherapies. To provide an example, it is likely that any inflammatory response in tissues also stimulates the mechanisms associated with wound healing—limiting and even healing tissue destruction—but it could also interfere with productive immune responses. This makes the immune-driven processes leading to tissue regeneration of special interest to us. And could one day lead to that knowledge being applied not only to new immunotherapies for oncology or chronic inflammation, but also other common diseases such as cardiovascular disease and metabolic disorders.
We are working hard to develop synthetic immunology techniques and translate our basic findings into novel immunotherapies. This involves engineering immune-cell functions and generating novel immune cell products which can act as therapeutic agents or so called ‘living drugs.’ And we’re making progress: Recently, we developed new ways of optimizing Treg cells to boost tissue repair and suppress unwanted immune responses.
Quote from Prof. Markus Feuerer
It is essential to achieve a better understanding of immune regulation and the mechanisms involved in the context of tissue. This will play a fundamental part in tackling a host of modern-day medical challenges: from cancer immunotherapy to autoimmune diseases, and even diseases not typically associated with the immune system, such as metabolic and cardiovascular diseases.
Head of Research Division Immunology
Biography
Academic background and qualifications
Prof. Markus Feuerer studied medicine at the medical schools of the University of Mainz (1994–1996) and the University of Heidelberg (1996–2002) where he graduated. He carried out his dissertation work in Heidelberg at the German Cancer Research Center (1999–2003). He received postdoctoral training at the German Rheumatism Research Centre (DRFZ) and Charité University Clinic, Berlin (2003–2004). From 2004–2009 he moved to Boston (USA) for a second postdoctoral training in the laboratory of Dr. Diane Mathis and Dr. Christophe Benoist at the Joslin Diabetes Center and Harvard Medical School.
Professional career
After his postdoctoral training, Prof. Feuerer became Head of the independent Helmholtz Young Investigator Group for Immune Tolerance at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg (2009–2017). In 2017, he was appointed Professor of Immunology (W3) and Head Chair for Immunology at the University of Regensburg. Prof. Feuerer is currently the Director of the Division of Immunology at the LIT and Deputy Scientific Director of the LIT, as well as a member of the LIT Management Board.
Honors
Prof. Feuerer has been the recipient of several prizes and honors including an ERC Consolidator Grant from the European Research Council, the Georges-Köhler Prize in 2014 from the German Society for Immunology (DGfI), the Richtzenhain Prize in 2004 from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), the Otto-Westphal Thesis Prize in 2004 from the German Society for Immunology (DGfI), the Dr. Feldbausch Foundation Prize in 2004 from the Medical Faculty at the University of Heidelberg, and in 2001, the Hans Krebs Prize from the Hannover Medical School.
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