Sex hormones have major effects on the immune system, which greatly influences the risk to develop certain diseases. There is a clear female bias in the development of autoimmune diseases, but the mechanisms involved remain to be determined. The overall aim of the research in my group is to identify the cellular and molecular processes that underlie the sex difference in autoimmune, infectious, and allergic diseases. Revealing these mechanisms will provide opportunities to develop new and better therapies for several estrogen responsive conditions. Ongoing projects in the group include:
1. To identify the immunological mechanisms that underlie the opposing effects of estrogen on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematous (SLE).
2. To determine the importance of stromal cells in primary and secondary lymphoid organs for the estrogen-mediated regulation of immune responses.
3. To define whether the protective effects of estrogen on osteoporosis development in RA and SLE are mediated by bone marrow stromal cells.
4. To identify the mechanisms involved in the effects of estrogen on immune responses during allergen- and virus-induced airway inflammation.
The projects range from basic research (in vivo and in vitro), to clinical studies in collaboration with physicians at the Sahlgrenska University hospital.
Group members
Julia Scheffler, researcher
Aidan Barrett, PhD student
Alumni
Marine Tronchon, MSc student, 2022
Piotr Humeniuk, post-doc, 2020-2022
Alicia Del Carpio Pons, research assistant, 2020-2022
Carmen Corciulo, post-doc, 2019-2023
Louise Henningsson, research engineer, 2019
Christina Drevinge, post-doc, 2018-2022
Julia Scheffler, post-doc, 2017-2020
Catalin Koro-Arvidsson, post-doc, 2016-2017
Angelina Bernardi, PhD student, 2013-2015
Louise Grahnemo, post-doc, 2012-2014
Annica Andersson, PhD student, 2011-2016