Research Group Hans-Dietmar Beer, PD PhD
The experimental research group investigates stress responses in keratinocytes, focusing on the NLRP1 inflammasome's role in skin integrity, inflammation, and cancer, while developing advanced human skin models for deeper insights into these processes.
Keratinocytes represent the main cell type of the epidermis. This outermost layer of the skin is directly exposed to numerous types of stress, including UVB radiation. Our research tries to elucidate the mechanisms, which are responsible for the maintenance of the integrity of the epidermis under stress conditions. A protein complex, termed NLRP1 inflammasome, plays important roles in different stress-induced processes of the epidermis, including sunburn, protection against viral infection, inflammatory skin conditions and skin cancer development. Since NLRP1-dependent mechanisms are only poorly conserved in other species, such as in mice, we are establishing novel models for skin research and protocols for the stable genetic manipulation of human primary keratinocytes and skin cancer cells by state-of-the-art methods. In addition, we are interested in understanding how anti-inflammatory drugs modulate inflammasome expression and activation.
