Our goal is to understand the immunological chances and challenges emerging from the vast diversity of potential adaptive immune receptor combinations found in αβ T cells, B cells, and particularly in γδ T cells. To this end, we developed systems for high-throughput monitoring of T cell receptor repertoires and use them to study the role of γδ T cells in immune responses to pathogens as well as in inflammatory diseases.

Within our association with the CRC 1192, our research is focusing on systems to define the antigen recognized by a given αβ or γδ TCR.

A CMV-induced adaptive human Vδ1+ γδ T cell clone recognizes HLA-DR.
Deseke M, Rampoldi F, Sandrock I, Borst E, Böning H, Ssebyatika GL, Jürgens C, Plückebaum N, Beck M, Hassan A, Tan L, Demera A, Janssen A, Steinberger P, Koenecke C, Viejo-Borbolla A, Messerle M, Krey T, Prinz I.
J Exp Med. 2022 Sep

OMIP-084: 28-color full spectrum flow cytometry panel for the comprehensive analysis of human γδ T cells.
Barros-Martins J, Bruni E, Fichtner AS, Cornberg M, Prinz I.
Cytometry A. 2022 Oct

γδ T cells license immature B cells to produce a broad range of polyreactive antibodies.
Rampoldi F, Donato E, Ullrich L, Deseke M, Janssen A, Demera A, Sandrock I, Bubke A, Juergens AL, Swallow M, Sparwasser T, Falk C, Tan L, Trumpp A, Prinz I.
Cell Rep. 2022 May

αβ T cells replacing dermal and epidermal γδ T cells in Tcrd-/- mice express an MHC-independent TCR repertoir.
Binz C, Bubke A, Sandrock I, Prinz I.
Eur J Immunol. 2021 Nov

A fetal wave of human type 3 effector γδ cells with restricted TCR diversity persists into adulthood.
Tan L, Fichtner AS, Bruni E, Odak I, Sandrock I, Bubke A, Borchers A, Schultze-Florey C, Koenecke C, Förster R, Jarek M, von Kaisenberg C, Schulz A, Chu X, Zhang B, Li Y, Panzer U, Krebs CF, Ravens S, Prinz I.
Sci Immunol. 2021 Apr

Ligand recognition by the γδ TCR and discrimination between homeostasis and stress conditions.
Deseke M, Prinz I. 
Cell Mol Immunol. 2020 Sep

From basic research to clinical application of γδ T cells.
Déchanet-Merville J, Prinz I.
Immunol Rev. 2020 Nov

Microbial exposure drives polyclonal expansion of innate γδ T cells immediately after birth.
Ravens S, Fichtner AS, Willers M, Torkornoo D, Pirr S, Schöning J, Deseke M, Sandrock I, Bubke A, Wilharm A, Dodoo D, Egyir B, Flanagan KL, Steinbrück L, Dickinson P, Ghazal P, Adu B, Viemann D, Prinz I.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020 Aug