DIGS-BB – Dresden International Graduate School for Biomedicine and Bioengineering / Research / Research Groups / Triantafyllos Chavakis

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Triantafyllos Chavakis Group

Innate Immunity and Immunometabolism

The scientific focus of the group of Prof. Chavakis is in the field of Innate Immunity and Immunometabolism especially on mechanisms contributing to chronicity of inflammation.

We aim at identifying inflammatory mechanisms that are involved in the regulation of chronic inflammation in the context of metabolic-inflammatory pathologies (insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, NAFLD), inflammatory bone loss and cancer. In addition, we study how cellular metabolism regulates innate immune cell generation (myelopoiesis) and activation in the context of innate immune memory as well as emergency hematopoiesis.

At the molecular level, our group has identified molecular mechanisms governing adhesive interactions contributing to leukocyte recruitment and activation as well as resolution of inflammation. For instance, we have identified an endogenous inhibitor of the leukocyte adhesion cascade, developmental endothelial locus-1 (DEL-1). DEL-1 antagonizes IL-17-dependent inflammation and promotes resolution of inflammation as well. Additionally, we study the molecular mechanisms of the crosstalk between inflammation and metabolism at the cellular and systemic organism level. For instance, we have identified an immunometabolic crosstalk that is involved in the modulation of hematopoietic progenitor cells in the context of trained immunity.

Future Projects and Goals

We are trying to understand the connection between inflammation and metabolism at multiple levels. In particular, we analyse mechanisms underlying inflammatory cell accumulation and activation in metabolic organs (e.g. adipose tissue, liver). Additionally, we investigate mechanisms regulating resolution of inflammation, e.g. the phagocytic clearance of apoptotic cells by macrophages Moreover, we study alterations in the bone marrow in response to inflammation and in the context of trained innate immunity.

Methodological and Technical Expertise

Experimental models of disease
- Acute Inflammation
- Chronic Inflammation
- Diet-induced obesity, Insulin resistance and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Real-time RT-PCR
Transcriptomic analysis
Epigenomic analysis
Metabolomic analysis
Immunohistochemistry
Fluorescent immunocytochemistry – confocal microscopy
Flow cytometry analysis
Molecular cloning
Primary cell isolation and culture
Cell adhesion and migration
Assays for leukocyte activation
Biochemistry: Western Blot

CV

Since 4/2017
W3-Professor and Director, Institute for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Clinic Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität (TU) Dresden

2014–2017
W3-Professor and Head, Department of Clinical Pathobiochemistry at the Institute for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Clinic Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden

2010–2014
W2-Professor at the Department of Internal Medicine III, University Clinic Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden

2005–2010
Principal Investigator and Head of the Inflammation Biology Section, Experimental Immunology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA

2002–2004
Department of Internal Medicine, University Clinic Heidelberg: Resident Physician

2000–2002
Department of Internal Medicine and Institute for Biochemistry, Justus-Liebig-University Gießen

2001
Doctorate degree (Dr. med), Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen

More Information

www.uniklinikum-dresden.de

Selected Publications

Kalafati L, Kourtzelis I, Schulte-Schrepping J, Li X, Hatzioannou A, Grinenko T, Hagag E, Sinha A, Has C, Dietz S, de Jesus Domingues AM, Nati M, Sormendi S, Neuwirth A, Chatzigeorgiou A, Ziogas A, Lesche M, Dahl A, Henry I, Subramanian P, Wielockx B, Murray P, Mirtschink P, Chung KJ, Schultze JL, Netea MG, Hajishengallis G*, Verginis P*, Mitroulis I*, Chavakis T*
Innate Immune Training of Granulopoiesis Promotes Anti-tumor Activity.
Cell, 183:771–785 (2020)
* contributed equally as senior authors

Kourtzelis I, Li X, Mitroulis I, Grosser D, Kajikawa T, Wang B, Grzybek M, von Renesse J, Czogalla A, Troullinaki M, Ferreira A, Doreth C, Ruppova K, Chen LS, Hosur K, Lim JH, Chung KJ, Grossklaus S, Tausche AK, Joosten LAB, Moutsopoulos NM, Wielockx B, Castrillo A, Korostoff JM, Coskun Ü, Hajishengallis G*, Chavakis T*
DEL-1 promotes macrophage efferocytosis and clearance of inflammation.
Nature Immunology, 20:40–49 (2019)
*contributed equally as senior authors

Mitroulis I, Ruppova K, Wang B, Chen LS, Grzybek M, Grinenko T, Eugster A, Troullinaki M, Palladini A, Kourtzelis I, Chatzigeorgiou A, Schlitzer A, Beyer M, Joosten LAB, Isermann B, Lesche M, Petzold A, Simons K, Henry I, Dahl A, Schultze JL, Wielockx B, Zamboni N, Mirtschink P, Coskun Ü, Hajishengallis G*, Netea MG*, Chavakis T*
Modulation of myelopoiesis progenitors is an integral component of trained immunity.
Cell, 172:147–161 (2018)
*contributed equally as senior authors

Chung KJ, Chatzigeorgiou A, Economopoulou M, Garcia-Martin R, Alexaki VI, Mitroulis I, Nati M, Gebler J, Ziemssen T, Goelz SE, Phieler J, Lim JH, Karalis KP, Papayannopoulou T, Blüher M, Hajishengallis G, Chavakis T
A self-sustained loop of inflammation-driven inhibition of beige adipogenesis in obesity.
Nature Immunology, 18:654–664 (2017)

Choi EY, Chavakis E, Czabanka MA, Langer H, Fraemohs L, Economopoulou M, Kundu RK, Orlandi A, Zheng YY, Prieto DA, Ballantyne CM, Constant SL, Aird W, Papayannopoulou T, Gahmberg CG, Udey MC, Vajkoczy P, Quertermous T, Dimmeler S, Weber C, Chavakis T
Del-1, an endogenous leukocyte endothelial adhesion inhibitor, limits inflammatory cell recruitment
Science, 322:1101–04 (2008)

Contact

Institute for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine
University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus
Technische Universität Dresden
Fetscherstraße 74
01307 Dresden