About Experimental internal medicine
We investigate the regulation of innate immune responses in health and disease, and based on that we design and test new approaches of immunotherapy in infections and immune-mediated diseases.
Research programs
Programs that are connected to this research group.
Achievements
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We coined and demonstrated the concept of trained immunity, showing that the innate immune system can develop a form of memory, previously thought to exist only in the adaptive immune system. We investigated epigenetic, metabolic and transcriptomic reprogramming mechanisms underlying trained immunity.
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We translated our findings on trained immunity into clinical research, particularly in the context of vaccination. We showed that the BCG vaccine can enhance protection against a broad range of infections beyond tuberculosis. This work led to several clinical trials, including ACTIVATE, which demonstrated protective effects of BCG vaccination in older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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We contributed to a better understanding of sepsis and immune dysfunction. We studied how immune responses become dysregulated during severe infections and worked toward developing personalized treatment strategies for sepsis, based on different immunotypes.
Our members
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Ioannis Morianos postdoc Interne Geneeskunde
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Leonie Helder staff researcher
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Vasiliki Matzaraki biostatisticus
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Jeroen Deckers wetenschappelijk onderzoeker