Immunology
Team TDA
Regulatory T Cell Dysfunction in Autoimmunity and Inflammaging
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are crucial for maintaining self-tolerance and preventing autoimmune disease. During aging, cellular senescence of Tregs and their dysfunctional state may contribute to age-related diseases fueled by chronic inflammation in the elderly – also called “inflammaging”. The T cell-intrinsic factors, as well as factors released from dysfunctional cells that could lead to alteration of the metabolic state of recipient T cells during aging, are currently ill-defined. In autoimmune disease patients, Tregs display metabolic changes, mitochondrial dysfunction, and oxidative stress signatures similar to cellular senescence, linking T cell aging and autoimmunity. The main objective of team TDA is to understand the molecular mechanisms governing immune senescence and metabolic dysfunction in Tregs and other T cell subsets that are shared in autoimmunity and aging. This project will conceive novel in vitro models that combine proteomics and single-cell transcriptomics with gene-editing techniques to identify and validate robust molecular signatures during disease development. Team TDA’s final goal is to improve patient outcomes by delivering new targets and novel therapeutic approaches for autoimmune disease treatment and for balancing immune responses in the elderly.
Mentors
- Dr. Angelika Schmidt
Senior Scientist, TIP-Immunology, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany (Industry mentor) - Dr. Philipp Haselmayer
Associate Director, TIP-Immunology, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany (Industry mentor) - PD Dr. Karsten GĂĽlow
Head of Research at the University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany (Academic mentor)
Our Team Members
Dr. Gorjana Rackov
Group Leader
Short Bio
- 2019 – 2021: Postdoc in extracellular vesicle-mediated cell-to-cell communication and the role of mitochondrial ROS in innate and adaptive responses during inflammation and autoimmunity. HM Hospitals Research Foundation and Spanish National Centre for Biotechnology (CNB-CSIC)
- 2016 – 2018: Postdoc in cancer stem cell targeting for glioblastoma immunotherapy. Supervisor: Dr. Angel Ayuso Sacido, IMDEA Nanoscience Institute, Madrid, Spain
- 2011 – 2015: PhD in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Biomedicine and Biotechnology. Autonomous University of Madrid, Spain. Supervisor: Dr. Dimitrios Balomenos at Spanish National Centre for Biotechnology (CNB-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
Dr. Arindam Dey
Postdoctoral Researcher
Short Bio
- 2021 – 2021: Postdoctoral researcher at Institute for Advanced Biosciences, France
- Development of mRNA vaccine against COVID-19 using cationic lipid nanoparticles
- Evaluating the effect of charge on cationic lipid nanoparticles on antigen presentation using a co-culture system of dendritic cells and T cells
- 2016 – 2020: Doctoral student at the Institute for Advanced Biosciences, UGA, France. Thesis title: “Study of the effects of nanoparticles on the immune system, supervision: Dr. Patrice Marche
- 2016 – 2016: Master thesis at the Institute for Advanced Biosciences, UGA, France. Thesis title: “Study of Antigen Presenting Cell functions after exposure to nanoparticles”, supervision: Dr. Patrice Marche
- Immunotoxicological effect of gold nanoparticles and neutral-lipid nanoparticles on the redox, metabolic, and cytokine profile of macrophages
Dr. Marcel Hahn
Postdoctoral Researcher
Short Bio
- 2016 – 2021: Ph.D. in Biochemistry under the supervision of Prof. Ivan Dikic, Institute of Biochemistry II, Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany
- 2013 – 2015: Master of Science, Justus-Liebig-Universität GieĂźen, Germany and UCL London, UK (Supervisor Prof. Henning Walczak)
- 2010 – 2013: Bachelor of Science, Justus-Liebig-Universität GieĂźen, German
Iris Potakowskyj
PhD Student
Short Bio
- 2020 – 2021: Master’s degree in Experimental and Medical Biosciences and master’s thesis investigating cellular interactions in the gut of Crohn’s Disease patients (immunofluorescence and light microscopy), Linköping University, Sweden
- 2019 – 2021: Master’s degree in Medical and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems, Austria
- 2016 – 2019: Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Analytics, University of Applied Sciences Wiener Neustadt, Austria
Sneha Prabhakara Shastry
Research Assistant
Short Bio
- 2018 – 2021: Master of Science in Regenerative Biology and Medicine, TU Dresden, Germany
- 2017 – 2018: Research Trainee at the Department of Biochemistry,
Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India - 2013 – 2017: Bachelor of Engineering in Biotechnology,
M.S Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Bangalore, India
Adrián Parrilla Mesas
Intern
Short Bio
- 2021 – 2022: Master’s degree in Pharmacological Research and master’s thesis focused on the evaluation of novel neuroprotective compounds for neurodegenerative diseases, Autonomous University of Madrid
- 2017 – 2021: Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry, Complutense University of Madrid
Sara Obeso DĂaz
Master's Student
Short Bio
- 2022 – present: Master’s degree in Translational Medical Research, Heidelberg University, Germany
- 2021 – 2022: Research assistant, Erasmus+ Internship, the Institute for Molecular and Celular Cognition of the Centre for Molecular Neurobiology, Hamburg, Germany
- 2017 – 2021: Bachelor’s degree in Health Biology, Alcalá de Henares University, Spain
Team TDA Alumni
At BioMed X we care for the people who work with us. Staying in touch with those who left but mainly contributed to BioMed X’s success is key. That’s why they have their designated place on our website. So let’s keep connected!