The section of immunology performs basic research with focus on immunobiology with special attention to the interaction of infectious and non-infectious agents with host immune defence parameters. Immune mechanisms are studied at molecular, protein and cellular levels in vivo and in vitro. Currently, the major research areas are:
- Immune modulatory effects of defined adjuvant components in pigs. In particular the early response to ISCOM-matrix and the enhancing and suppressive effects of CpG motifs are studied.
- Interactions between porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) and cellular components of the host, including those of the immune system.
- Profiles of the immune reactivity in healthy and diseased intestine of the horse, in collaboration with the section of Pathology at the department.
- Cellular processing, shedding and conformational change of the prion protein in vitro.
- Mast cell serine protease chymase and serglycin proteoglycans in parasitic and bacterial infections and serglycin proteoglycans in inflammatory arthritis.
- Chymase and serglycin proteoglycans in mast cell derived arachidonic acid synthesis.
We are presently located at Uppsala Biomedical Center, BMC, A8 floor 2, sharing laboratory facilities with immunologists from the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology (IMBIM) and the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology (ICM) at Uppsala University.