Receptor signalling coupled to antigen presentation in dentritic cells

Vital to our immune defense is the role of dendritic cells (DC) in capturing foreign particles, such as pathogens, in our tissues. They process the debris and display fragments on their surface— a signal that activates the next line of defense. Dr. Eik Hoffmann is studying detection molecules, or receptors, on the cell surface to show how DC trigger an immune reaction. His results show that both the type of receptor activated and the efficiency of pathogen processing dictate the immune response that follows.
My research focuses on investigating the role and importance of cell surface receptors involved in phagocytic pathogen uptake leading to dendritic cell maturation programs, which represent the key step of an initiation or repression of immune responses in the human body.