Niklas Klümper and Varun Venkataramani receive Lisec-Artz Prize
—Dr. Varun Venkataramani of the Faculty of Medicine at Heidelberg University and ImmunoSensation² member Dr. Niklas Klümper of the University Hospital Bonn have been awarded the Lisec Artz Prize for their outstanding cancer research. The University of Bonn Foundation and the University of Bonn Faculty of Medicine presented the awards to the two researchers on Tuesday, November 18, 2025 at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) as part of the Cluster Science Days event held by the ImmunoSensation² Cluster of Excellence. The prize is worth a total of 15,000 euros.
Prof. Christoph Wilhelm receives €1.25 million DFG funding for Reinhart-Koselleck project
—The German Research Foundation (DFG) is funding a Reinhart-Koselleck project at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) within the Cluster of Excellence ImmunoSensation² at the University of Bonn with €1.25 million. The research team led by Prof. Christoph Wilhelm, Chair of Immunopathology at the Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Clinical Pharmacology, aims to investigate how the body maintains the balance of the gut microbiome during periods of illness and food scarcity.
—Bonn researchers have discovered how a small, naturally occurring RNA molecule in the kidney activates a mutated immune receptor, triggering a chain reaction. In cooperation with Nanyang Technological University Singapore and the University Hospital Würzburg, among others, the study provides an explanation for how a point mutation in the immune receptor RIG-I transforms the body's defense system into a self-destructive force and causes severe organ-specific autoimmune diseases. The results have now been published in the journal Science Immunology.
—Dr. Anna Aschenbrenner, a researcher at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) in Bonn, has received the Tobias-Welte Prize from the German Sepsis Society, endowed with 3,000 Euros. She was honored for her pioneering work published in Cell, in which she and her team uncovered the molecular mechanisms underlying the life-saving effects of dexamethasone in severe COVID-19.
Unique immune signatures to distinguish MOGAD from MS
—Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD) is a rare autoimmune condition in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the protective myelin sheath of nerve fibers in the central nervous system. Although MOGAD induces symptoms similar to multiple sclerosis (MS), its underlying biology appears to be fundamentally different. Understanding these distinctions is crucial for developing effective, disease-specific treatments. A new international study now sheds light on these immune differences.
—Precision is crucial for immune cells: natural killer (NK) cells and T cells eliminate infected or transformed cells by releasing targeted, highly toxic particles. A new study from the CeMM (Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences), the St. Anna Children’s Cancer Research Institute, the Medical University of Vienna, the Medical University of Graz, the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the University of Bonn offers deeper insight into how these so-called cytotoxic granules are released.
—Professor Anne-Katrin Pröbstel, Managing Director of the Center of Neurology and Director of the Clinic for Neuroimmunology at the University Hospital Bonn, is the recipient of the „WeAreNeuroimmunology“ Mid-Career Award of the International Society of Neuroimmunology (ISNI). She is honored for her work on the role of B cells and antibodies and the influence of gut microbiota on immune cells in neuroinflammatory diseases.
They discovered how the immune system is kept in check
—The body’s powerful immune system must be regulated, or it may attack our own organs. Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi are awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2025 for their groundbreaking discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance that prevents the immune system from harming the body.
