Immunology

The past few years have seen great strides made in immune system research. The first immunology therapies have been approved, while others are being tested in clinical trials. Researchers are uncovering ever more details about the complex system of organs, tissues, and different cell types that make up the human immune system.

Our research on immunology & inflammation

Article

Oxalate in the kidney cortex
Science

Inflammation links the kidney and the heart

Oxalic acid might do more than just contribute to the formation of kidney stones — it may also be an underappreciated driver of inflammation and heart damage in people with impaired kidney function. Researchers from Berlin and Würzburg report their findings in “Cardiovascular Research.”
Food
Science

Natural compound may help boost vaccine responses

Katja Simon in collaboration with researchers in the United Kingdom have shown in “Aging Cell” that the naturally occurring compound spermidine can help boost vaccine response in older adults by reducing molecular markers of immune system ageing.
Microscopic image of a bone marrow biopsy
Press Release No. 11 Berlin

How blood stem cells diversify

Different types of bone marrow stem cells give rise to blood and immune cells. A team led by Simon Haas now reports in “Nature Cell Biology” how that diversity develops. The findings could help improve stem cell therapies, including treatments for blood cancers.
Scientific image
Press Release No. 6 Berlin

Chaos in lymph nodes promotes cancer

In aggressive lymphomas, inflammatory messengers reprogram the “conductors” of the immune system, causing lymph node structure to collapse. A team led by Simon Haas describes in “Nature Cancer” this process for the first time using single-cell and spatial analyses.
Scientific image
Science

Fat tissue fuels gut inflammation

Researchers at the Max Delbrück Center and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin show that adipose tissue amplifies gut inflammation in Crohn’s disease. The study, published in the “Journal of Clinical Investigation,” also reveals how genetic changes in immune cells may contribute to the disease.
Blood
Science

A blood test to detect immune deficiency

Researchers at the Max Delbrück Center have developed a fast, cost-effective blood-based tool that can identify and classify immune deficiencies with high accuracy. The approach, published in “Nature Communications,” could help address long-standing gaps in diagnosing immune disorders.
Scientific image
Press Release No. 30 Berlin

What determines the fate of a T cell?

Researchers at the Max Delbrück Center have found that a cellular housekeeping mechanism called autophagy plays a major role in ensuring that T stem cells undergo normal cell division. The findings, published in “Nature Cell Biology,” could help boost vaccine response in older adults.
five people
Science

Five Berlin-based leading minds honored

Five scientists from the Max Delbrück Center have been named among the 100 most important minds in Berlin science in 2025 by the newspaper Tagesspiegel: Simone Spuler, Clara Vázquez García, Thoralf Niendorf, Gabriele Schiattarella and Ana Pombo.
Dominik Müller
Science

Dominik Müller is honored in the US

The American Heart Association has awarded its Excellence Award for Hypertension Research to Dominik Müller from the Max Delbrück Center. He is only the third European to be honored with this distinction from the oldest professional society in the U.S.
Klaus Rajewsky
Science

Klaus Rajewsky honored for a lifetime of achievements

The European Federation of Immunological Societies is awarding Klaus Rajewsky of the Max Delbrück Center its first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award. The 88-year-old Rajewsky, who remains active in research, is being recognized for his pioneering work in cellular and molecular immunology.