Karsten Lab
Area of Research
The persistent infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) causes the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a deadly disease that can only be controlled by life-long antiretroviral therapy. The immune system fails to eliminate the infection with HIV due to the multitude of viral strategies to evade the innate and cellular host responses. Several immune evasion strategies of HIV are directly linked to the viral envelope protein. The viral envelope protein mediates the fusion of the virus with uninfected cells and thereby is essential for establishing and sustaining an infection with HIV. With the envelope protein being the only viral protein on the surface of HIV, it is the single point of attack for the immune system. However, only small numbers of envelope proteins are integrated into the viral membrane, the sequence of the envelope protein is highly variable, and the envelope protein is hidden under a dense coat of host-derived sugars (=glycans) of varying composition.
In the Karsten Lab, we try to understand why in rare cases infected individuals develop an antibody response capable of overcoming the glycan coat of HIV and other viruses. We investigate in detail the qualitative properties of antibody responses capable of controlling or limiting viral infections with particular focus on non-neutralizing antibody mediated immune functions. The results of these studies are applied to develop new HIV vaccine candidates with glycan coats optimized for the induction of protective antibodies.
Assistant Professor Dr. Christina B. Karsten
IG1, Room 2.050
Tel. 0201/723-4205
Fax 0201/723-5543
Lab Members
Gwenllian Ann Appeltrath, M.Sc.
PhD student
Room 2.051
Tel. 0201/723-4050
gwenllianann.appeltrath@uk-essen.de
Paula Busskamp-Castro, M.Sc.
PhD student
Raum 2.051
Tel. 0201/723-4050
Benton van Bilson
Bachelor student
Raum 2.049
Tel. 0201/723-4758
Max Dornbach
BTA intern
Raum 2.049
Tel. 0201/723-4758
Publications
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Immunogenicity of the Monovalent Omicron XBB.1.5-Adapted BNT162b2 COVID-19 Vaccine in People Living with HIV (PLWH)In: Vaccines Vol. 12 (2024) Nr. 7, 785Online Full Text: dx.doi.org/ (Open Access)
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Macrophage- and CD4+ T cell-derived SIV differ in glycosylation, infectivity and neutralization sensitivityIn: PLoS Pathogens Vol. 20 (2024) Nr. 5, e1012190Online Full Text: dx.doi.org/ (Open Access)
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An efficient ELISA protocol for measurement of SARS-CoV-2 spike-specific IgG in human plasma and serum samplesIn: MethodsX Vol. 12 (2024) 102596Online Full Text: dx.doi.org/ (Open Access)
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False-Positive Screening and Confirmatory HIV Diagnostic Test in a Patient with Cured SARS-CoV-2 Infection Is Not Mediated by Env/Spike Cross-Reactive AntibodiesIn: Viruses Vol. 15 (2023) Nr. 5, 1161Online Full Text: dx.doi.org/ (Open Access)
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False-positive HIV diagnosis post SARSCoV-2 infection : a case report
DÖAK 2023 / German-Austrian AIDS Conference, Bonn, Germany, 23-25 March 2023,In: HIV Medicine Vol. 24 (2023) Nr. 1, pp. 90 -
Distinct type I interferon subtypes differentially stimulate T cell responses in HIV1-infected individuals
DÖAK 2023 / German-Austrian AIDS Conference, Bonn, Germany, 23-25 March 2023,In: HIV Medicine Vol. 24 (2023) Nr. 1, pp. 92 -
Evolution of functional antibodies following acute Epstein-Barr virus infectionIn: PLoS Pathogens Vol. 18 (2022) Nr. 9, e1010738Online Full Text: dx.doi.org/ (Open Access)
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Distinct Type I Interferon Subtypes Differentially Stimulate T Cell Responses in HIV-1-Infected IndividualsIn: Frontiers in Immunology Vol. 13 (2022) 936918Online Full Text: dx.doi.org/ Online Full Text (Open Access)
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Die HIV-Pandemie : Ein Problem weltweit, auch in DeutschlandIn: Unikate: Berichte aus Forschung und Lehre (2021) Nr. 56 : "Junge Wilde" - Die nächste Generation, pp. 40 - 49Online Full Text: dx.doi.org/ Online Full Text (Open Access)
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A versatile high-throughput assay to characterize antibody-mediated neutrophil phagocytosisIn: Journal of Immunological Methods Vol. 471 (2019) pp. 46 - 56Online Full Text: dx.doi.org/ (Open Access)
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Exploiting glycan topography for computational design of Env glycoprotein antigenicityIn: PLoS Computational Biology Vol. 14 (2018) Nr. 4, pp. e1006093Online Full Text: dx.doi.org/ (Open Access)
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The HIV-1 Glycan Shield : Strategically Placed Kinks in the Armor Improve Antigen DesignIn: Cell Reports Vol. 19 (2017) Nr. 4, pp. 669 - 670Online Full Text: dx.doi.org/ (Open Access)
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Exclusive decoration of simian immunodeficiency virus env with high-mannose type N-glycans is not compatible with mucosal transmission in rhesus macaquesIn: Journal of Virology Vol. 89 (2015) Nr. 22, pp. 11727 - 11733Online Full Text: dx.doi.org/ (Open Access)
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Inhibition of proprotein convertases abrogates processing of the middle eastern respiratory syndrome coronavirus spike protein in infected cells but does not reduce viral infectivityIn: The Journal of Infectious Diseases (JID) Vol. 211 (2015) Nr. 6, pp. 889 - 897Online Full Text: dx.doi.org/ (Open Access)
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Interferon-Induced Transmembrane Protein-Mediated Inhibition of Host Cell Entry of EbolavirusesIn: The Journal of Infectious Diseases (JID) Vol. 212 (2015) Nr. Suppl. 2, pp. S210 - S218Online Full Text: dx.doi.org/ (Open Access)
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Analysis of Ebola Virus Entry into MacrophagesIn: The Journal of Infectious Diseases (JID) Vol. 212 (2015) Nr. Suppl. 2, pp. S247 - S257Online Full Text: dx.doi.org/ (Open Access)
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Attachment/BindingIn: Encyclopedia of AIDS / Hope, Thomas J.; Richman, Douglas; Stevenson, Mario (Eds.) 2014, pp. 1 - 10Online Full Text: dx.doi.org/
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Recruitment of the tumour suppressor protein p73 by Kaposi's Sarcoma Herpesvirus latent nuclear antigen contributes to the survival of primary effusion lymphoma cellsIn: Oncogene Vol. 32 (2013) Nr. 32, pp. 3676 - 3685Online Full Text: dx.doi.org/ (Open Access)
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Cathepsins B and L activate Ebola but not Marburg virus glycoproteins for efficient entry into cell lines and macrophages independent of TMPRSS2 expressionIn: Virology Vol. 424 (2012) Nr. 1, pp. 3 - 10Online Full Text: dx.doi.org/ (Open Access)
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Influenza a virus does not encode a tetherin antagonist with Vpu-like activity and induces IFN-dependent tetherin expression in infected cellsIn: PLoS ONE Vol. 7 (2012) Nr. 8, pp. e43337Online Full Text: dx.doi.org/ (Open Access)
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The role of the alternative coreceptor GPR15 in SIV tropism for human cellsIn: Virology Vol. 433 (2012) Nr. 1, pp. 73 - 84Online Full Text: dx.doi.org/ (Open Access)
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IncP-1 β plasmids of Comamonas sp. and Delftia sp. strains isolated from a wastewater treatment plant mediate resistance to and decolorization of the triphenylmethane dye crystal violetIn: Microbiology (Reading, England) Vol. 158 (2012) Nr. 8, pp. 2060 - 2072Online Full Text: dx.doi.org/