Interview with Prof. Dr. Uwe Ritter

I am working as a principal investigator and group leader at the Leibniz Institute for Immunotherapy (LIT) and am interested in the so-called skin-associated lymphatic tissue (SALT). 

Me and my group are investigating how antigen-specific immune responses are induced and regulated in skin-draining lymph nodes. In this context we are focused on myeloid cells and adaptive immune responses, resulting from interactions between antigen-presenting cells and T cells. 

Currently, we are characterizing the cellular checkpoints resulting in the initiation and regulation of T cell-mediated immunity. The impact of myeloid subsets in immune regulation and wound healing is of special interest. Our goal is the identification of exo- and endogenous mediators that are interfering with checkpoints of immunoregulation. In this context, we are aiming to modulate these immune checkpoints in order to cure immunopathological manifestations such as autoimmune diseases.

We are working with the TissueFAXSiPLUS imaging platform. The analysis station combines the advantages of flow cytometry and immunofluorescence microscopy. Thus, an exact statement regarding the expression level of different target structures (proteins/DNA/RNA) can be assigned in-situ within a previously defined cell population. In addition, it is possible to display the localization of defined cell populations and their interaction partners in the tissue using software-based algorithms. For imaging analysis, we are working with the StrataQuest, TissueQuest, and HistoQuest software.

1. Delacher M, Simon M, Sanderink L, Hotz-Wagenblatt A, Wuttke M, Schambeck K, Schmidleithner L, Bittner S, Pant A, Ritter U, Hehlgans T, Riegel D, Schneider V, Groeber-Becker FK, Eigenberger A, Gebhard C, Strieder N, Fischer A, Rehli M, Hoffmann P, Edinger M, Strowig T, Huehn J, Schmidl C, Werner JM, Prantl L, Brors B, Imbusch CD, Feuerer M. 2021. Single-cell chromatin accessibility landscape identifies tissue repair program in human regulatory T cells. Immunity 54: 702-20 e17

2. Schmid M, Dufner B, Durk J, Bedal K, Stricker K, Prokoph LA, Koch C, Wege AK, Zirpel H, van Zandbergen G, Ecker R, Boghiu B, Ritter U. 2015. An Emerging Approach for Parallel Quantification of Intracellular Protozoan Parasites and Host Cell Characterization Using TissueFAXS Cytometry. PLoS One 10: e0139866

3. Zimara N, Florian C, Schmid M, Malissen B, Kissenpfennig A, Mannel DN, Edinger M, Hutchinson JA, Hoffmann P, Ritter U. 2014. Langerhans cells promote early germinal center formation in response to Leishmania-derived cutaneous antigens. Eur J Immunol 44: 2955-67