Cellular and molecular mechanisms of the immune regulation

The interaction between microorganisms and hosts can be beneficial (e.g. skin and intestinal flora) or detrimental for one or both interaction partners (e.g. pathogenic microorganisms that cause diseases and/or are killed by the hosts immune system). The mode and outcome of this interaction depends on one hand on the virulence (virulence factors) of the microorganisms and on the other hand on the immune competence of the host.
Protection against pathogens requires activation of inflammatory reactions and mobilization of immune cells which impair survival and dissemination of invading pathogens and lead to their elimination. However, our complex immune system represents an enormous challenge for the body. On the one hand it has to be activated strong enough to ensure an effective defence, on the other hand the immune response should not overreact and harm the own body. The activities of released inflammatory mediators (e.g. radicals, proteases, cytokines etc) are also tissue-destructive. Thus, inappropriate immune response can lead to pathogen persistence or increases susceptibility to autoimmunity, chronic inflammatory diseases and cancer.  
To inhibit hyper immune responses, immune regulation mechanisms have to be activated that enable a balanced non-pathogenic immune response and inhibit immune reactions against self or harmless antigens.

My research is concerned with the study of immunological mechanisms enabling such immune regulation. Thereby a mean project is focused on Interleukin-10 (IL-10), one of the most important immune modulator. I have generated IL10-reporter mice, which enable to study in vivo the contribution of IL-10 producing cells to the modulation of immune responses.