Christina Iwert

Postdoc

I did my Bachelor and Master in Biology at Freie Universität Berlin and Technical University Dresden, respectively. Since I passed my first internship in immunology at the beginning of my bachelor studies, I developed a deep growing interest in immunology with special focus to the mechanisms of pathological immune responses associated with autoimmune diseases and allergies. Thus, I do my PhD in the Sawitzki lab and investigate the mechanism of opposing function of the mitochondrial protein TCAIM in conventional CD8+ and regulatory CD4+ T cells. By controlling mitochondrial functions and cellular metabolism, TCAIM seems to inhibit the activation and effector differentiation of conventional while promoting the stability and function of regulatory T cells.

Understanding and interfering with this opposing mechanism will help to develop new T cell focused immunotherapies for autoimmune diseases or cancers. To study this I extensively perform multi-parameter FACS and CyTOF analysis on a phenotypic and functional level, but also do RNASeq analysis, as well as non-targeted metabolite analysis with special focus on lipid metabolism.

Projects of

Christina

Iwert

  • T cell checkpoints in infection pathologies

Publications of

Christina

Iwert

  • TCAIM controls effector T cell generation by preventing Mitochondria-Endoplasmic Reticulum Contact Site-initiated Cholesterol Biosynthesis

    bioRxiv

  • The AICL-KLRF1 axis supports CD4-CD8 T cell communication and cytokine competence in pre-exhausted CD8+ T cells

    EMBO Reports

  • RECAST: Study protocol for an observational study for the understanding of the increased REsilience of Children compared to Adults in SARS-CoV-2 infecTion.

    BMJ Open

  • Killer-like receptors and GPR56 progressive expression defines cytokine production of human CD4(+) memory T cells.

    Nature Communications

  • CD96 expression determines the inflammatory potential of IL-9-producing Th9 cells.

    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

Sawitzki Lab

Berlin Institute of Health at Charité (BIH) 
Center of Immunomics/Translational Immunology

Luisenstraße 65 
D-10117 Berlin

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