Researchers are investigating previously little-noticed types of immune cells and their role in virus defense.
Blood samples from hepatitis patients are scanned. Copyright: Karin Kaiser/MHH
A recent study from Hanover provides important insights for understanding and the future treatment of chronic hepatitis B. Researchers from Hannover Medical School, the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), TWINCORE, and the Centre for Individualised Infection Medicine (CiiM)—a joint facility of the HZI and MHH—were able to demonstrate that a previously little-noticed group of immune cells—so-called γδ T cells—plays a central role in controlling the viral infection. The study was published in the journal “Gut.”
γδ T cells are capable of specifically recognizing and eliminating infected cells via antibody-mediated mechanisms. The findings are particularly relevant in the context of developing new therapeutic strategies aimed at achieving a functional cure for hepatitis B. While current therapies suppress the virus, it has so far been rare to achieve sustainable immunological control of the infection. “The mechanisms now identified open up new possibilities for specifically strengthening the body’s own immune response and thus taking a decisive step toward a cure,” explains Prof. Dr. Anke Kraft,MHH Clinical Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Infectious Diseases and Endocrinology, and co-director of the research group “Immunology of Viral Hepatitis and Infections in Liver Cirrhosis” at CiiM.
Successful Interdisciplinary Collaboration
However, the study led by Prof. Anke Kraft, Prof. Markus Cornberg, and Prof. Yannic Bartsch focuses not only on scientific findings but also on the underlying research structure: The work is an example of the successful integration of clinical cohorts, experimental models, and immunological expertise. “We standardized and processed patient data and samples from the MHH via the CiiM and combined them with innovative functional models at TWINCORE as well as highly specialized expertise in the field of γδ T cells,” explains Prof. Markus Cornberg, Deputy Clinical Director, Co-Head of the research group, and Co-Director of the CiiM. This close integration is a central element of the RESIST Cluster of Excellence, in which different disciplines collaborate specifically to better understand complex infectious diseases. The study exemplifies how this structure allows new immunological principles to be identified and simultaneously placed within a clinical context.
“The functional cure of hepatitis B requires a deep understanding of antiviral immunity,” emphasizes Prof. Yannic Bartsch, Head of the Early-Career Research Group “Antiviral Antibody Omics” at TWINCORE. “Our results show that previously overlooked types of immune cells can play a decisive role in this process.”
The work underscores the strategic importance of Hanover as an internationally recognized Centre for Individualised Infection Medicine and demonstrates how close collaboration between MHH, HZI, TWINCORE, and CiiM within the RESIST Cluster of Excellence is opening new avenues for treating chronic viral infections.
SERVICE
The original publication “CD16+ γδ T cells mediate antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and associate with viral control in chronic hepatitis B virus infection” can be found here.
Text: CiiM/Administrative Unit for Communications