Dendritic cells (DCs) are very important antigen presenting cells. They connect innate and acquired immunity and are absolutely required for the body´s fight against invading pathogens. We have shown that antigen loaded DCs can direct different T cell responses in vivo and that this ability is dependent on the differential expression of molecules involved in peptide MHC processing and presentation. Targeting antigens in vivo will have important implications on the design of therapeutic vaccines.
Diana Dudziak studied biology at the universities of Bayreuth and Erlangen. After receiving her Ph.D. at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, she worked as a postdoctoral associate at the National Research Center for Environment and Health (GSF) in Munich and the Laboratory of Molecular Immunology at the Rockefeller University in New York. Since 2008 she is Professor for Dendritic Cell Biology at the Department of Dermatology at the University Hospital of Erlangen-Nuremberg. In 2009, Diana Dudziak was awarded with the Ria-Freifrau von Fritsch Award for a research grant in tumor immunology.
Moderation: Professor Dr. Barbara M. Bröker