06/05/2026
🚀 #𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗥𝗼𝘄𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗼𝘂𝗿 #𝗖𝗲𝗠𝗠𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱!
Today, we turn to immunity, featuring four CeMM research groups:
🦠 CeMM PI Clarissa Campbell’s group studies the interplay between external factors such as diet or pathogens, the gut microbiome, and the host, uncovering new concepts and therapeutic avenues for gut disorders.
At the Musikverein Wien, Clarissa and her group emphasized: “We’re not just interested in correlations… we want to identify mechanisms. Only then can better diagnoses and treatments be developed.”
Gut disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome are linked to environmental factors that alter gut microbes. By investigating how bile acids affect host immunity, the team aims to uncover new ways to reduce inflammation in gut disorders.
👉 https://bit.ly/4dnK8mJ
🧬 To better harness the immune system in the fight against cancer, CeMM PI Barbara Maier’s group looks beyond the tumor itself: “Current treatments are very much focused on the tumor itself, but we believe that the next step is to look at systemic immunity… We want to understand how tumors interact with the immune system as a whole,” Maier said at Halle EG im MQ.
The group studies how lymph node architecture may influence premetastatic niche formation in lymph nodes and impair anti-tumor responses. Their findings could help establish a second pillar of immunotherapy for patients with compromised systemic immunity.
👉 https://bit.ly/3OMeQNc
🔬 How does infection alter metabolism and behavior? CeMM Adjunct PI Andreas Bergthaler's group (Medical University of Vienna) investigates host responses to viral infection, aiming to extend our understanding beyond immunology toward whole-organism physiology, which is key to explaining diseases like cachexia.
To understand how the body fuels immune responses while maintaining other essential processes, the team used mouse models of viral infection to study energy trade-offs. As Bergthaler said at the Volksoper Wien, “T cells consume a lot of energy to rapidly activate and proliferate in secondary lymphoid organs, and they compete with other tissues for the available glucose.” The team observed a CD8+ T cell–dependent fuel switch and, interestingly, similar bioenergetic reprogramming in cancer patients.
👉 https://bit.ly/4n9v0wJ
➡️ Looking ahead: CeMM Scientific Director Maria Rescigno established a new research group at CeMM on mucosal immunology in early 2026. She aims to advance our understanding of the gut–brain axis, showing how gut-derived immune signals can shape the brain’s immune borders.
👉 https://bit.ly/4enZlFx
📸 Klaus Pichler / CeMM