Adhesion Molecules

Adhesion molecules on immune cells: role in the pathogenesis of MS, risk for opportunistic infections and impact of immunotherapies

Project Description:

• Unravel pathogenesis of MS by evaluation of adhesion molecules on immune cells in peripheral blood and CSF
• Impact of different immunotherapies on adhesion molecules
• Assessment of risk for opportunistic infection including PML and VZV
• Monitoring of immune cell distribution and adhesion molecule expression for individualized treatment concepts

 

Recent Publications:

• Recent poster presentation at ECTRIMS 2017: “The immune receptor expression pattern in peripheral-blood associated with JCV seropositivity in patients with multiple sclerosis is not affected by natalizumab”
• Harrer A, Wipfler P, Pilz G, Oppermann K, Haschke-Becher E, Afazel S, Kraus J, Trinka E, Sellner J. Adaptive Immune Responses in a Multiple Sclerosis Patient with Acute Varicella-Zoster Virus Reactivation during Treatment with Fingolimod. Int J Mol Sci. 2015 Sep 10;16(9):21832-45.
• Harrer A, Pilz G, Wipfler P, Oppermann K, Sellner J, Hitzl W, Haschke-Becher E, Afazel S, Rispens T, van der Kleij D, Trinka E, Kraus J. High interindividual variability in the CD4/CD8 T cell ratio and natalizumab concentration levels in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with multiple sclerosis. Clin Exp Immunol.2015 Jun;180(3):383-92.
• Wipfler P, Harrer A, Pilz G, Oppermann K, Afazel S, Haschke-Becher E, Sellner J, Trinka E, Kraus J. Natalizumab saturation: biomarker for individual treatment holiday after natalizumab withdrawal? Acta Neurol Scand. 2014 Mar;129(3):e12-5.
• Sellner J, Koczi W, Harrer A, Oppermann K, Obregon-Castrillo E, Pilz G, Wipfler P, Afazel S, Haschke-Becher E, Trinka E, Kraus J. Glatiramer acetate attenuates the pro-migratory profile of adhesion molecules on various immune cell subsets in multiple sclerosis. Clin Exp Immunol. 2013 Sep;173(3):381-9.
• Harrer A, Pilz G, Einhaeupl M, Oppermann K, Hitzl W, Wipfler P, Sellner J, Golaszewski S, Afazel S, Haschke-Becher E, Trinka E, Kraus J. Lymphocyte subsets show different response patterns to in vivo bound natalizumab--a flow cytometric study on patients with multiple sclerosis. PLoS One. 2012;7(2):e31784.

 

Previous Funding: Swiss MS society, Bayer, Teva, Merck

Current Funding: Biogen