@article{TrinksReinhardDrobnyetal.2021, author = {Trinks, Nora and Reinhard, Sebastian and Drobny, Matthias and Heilig, Linda and L{\"o}ffler, J{\"u}rgen and Sauer, Markus and Terpitz, Ulrich}, title = {Subdiffraction-resolution fluorescence imaging of immunological synapse formation between NK cells and A. fumigatus by expansion microscopy}, series = {Communications Biology}, volume = {4}, journal = {Communications Biology}, number = {1}, doi = {10.1038/s42003-021-02669-y}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-264996}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Expansion microscopy (ExM) enables super-resolution fluorescence imaging on standard microscopes by physical expansion of the sample. However, the investigation of interactions between different organisms such as mammalian and fungal cells by ExM remains challenging because different cell types require different expansion protocols to ensure identical, ideally isotropic expansion of both partners. Here, we introduce an ExM method that enables super-resolved visualization of the interaction between NK cells and Aspergillus fumigatus hyphae. 4-fold expansion in combination with confocal fluorescence imaging allows us to resolve details of cytoskeleton rearrangement as well as NK cells' lytic granules triggered by contact with an RFP-expressing A. fumigatus strain. In particular, subdiffraction-resolution images show polarized degranulation upon contact formation and the presence of LAMP1 surrounding perforin at the NK cell-surface post degranulation. Our data demonstrate that optimized ExM protocols enable the investigation of immunological synapse formation between two different species with so far unmatched spatial resolution.}, language = {en} } @article{SeifEinseleLoeffler2019, author = {Seif, Michelle and Einsele, Hermann and L{\"o}ffler, J{\"u}rgen}, title = {CAR T cells beyond cancer: hope for immunomodulatory therapy of infectious diseases}, series = {Frontiers in Immunology}, volume = {10}, journal = {Frontiers in Immunology}, number = {2711}, issn = {1664-3224}, doi = {10.3389/fimmu.2019.02711}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-195596}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Infectious diseases are still a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Despite the progress in drug development, the occurrence of microbial resistance is still a significant concern. Alternative therapeutic strategies are required for non-responding or relapsing patients. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells has revolutionized cancer immunotherapy, providing a potential therapeutic option for patients who are unresponsive to standard treatments. Recently two CAR T cell therapies, Yescarta® (Kite Pharma/Gilead) and Kymriah® (Novartis) were approved by the FDA for the treatments of certain types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia, respectively. The success of adoptive CAR T cell therapy for cancer has inspired researchers to develop CARs for the treatment of infectious diseases. Here, we review the main achievements in CAR T cell therapy targeting viral infections, including Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Hepatitis C Virus, Hepatitis B Virus, Human Cytomegalovirus, and opportunistic fungal infections such as invasive aspergillosis.}, language = {en} }