Virus Immunology

The Research Department of Virus Immunology, headed by Prof. Dr. Marcus Altfeld, focuses on the characterization of protective immune responses against human pathogenic viruses (in particular HIV-1, hepatitis C and influenza viruses) and investigates the mechanisms by which these viruses are recognized by the immune system and attempt to evade antiviral immunity.

The aim is to identify those innate and adaptive immune responses that are associated with either protection against new infections, cure of established infections or more favorable disease progression in chronic persistent infections. These new findings will make it possible to develop innovative vaccination strategies and immunotherapeutic interventions. A particular focus of research is the investigation of the molecular mechanisms that lead to sex-specific differences in the immune response against viruses. Another focus is the investigation of receptor/ligand interactions that enable the recognition of virus-infected cells by NK cells.