Hermann Wagner

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Hermann Wagner (born May 20, 1941) is a German scientist in the field of microbiology and immunology and past Dean of the Medical Faculty of the Technical University Munich (TUM). His massive number of published works, at over 370, makes him one of Europe's most cited immunologists. [1]

Contents

Curriculum Vitae

Wagner studied Medicine and in 1967 received his medical degree (MD) from the University of Tübingen.[ citation needed ] In Melbourne, Australia he studied Human Biology and in 1973 received his PhD from University of Melbourne.[ citation needed ] From 1973 to 1983 he continued his research on "T Cell mediated Immune Responses" with Paul Klein at the Institut of Microbiology of the Johannes-Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany.[ citation needed ] In 1978, he qualified as a university lecturer (habilitation), and in 1983 he was made full professor and head of the Institut of Microbiology at the University of Ulm.[ citation needed ] In 1989 he moved to the Technical University Munich, where he headed the Institute of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene. [2] [3] He retired at the end of 2008.[ citation needed ]

Research work

His prime research activities focus on mechanisms of protective immunity towards pathogens. [3] From 1970-80 he analysed T-T Cell interactions during the induction of cytotoxic T Cell responses. [4] During his Ulm period he focussed on the immunobiology of bacterial superantigens. [5] In Munich, he subsequently contributed to our understanding of Toll-like-Receptors(TLR), through which innate immune cells sense pathogens. In particular he was one of the first to realise [6] that bacterial/viral DNA activated Innate Immune cells via TLR9.[ citation needed ] Conversely his group was able to show that TLR7 and/or TLR8 recognised pathogen-derived RNA [2] [7] while TLR13 senses bacterial 23S rRNA. [8]

In Ulm he initiated and headed the Collaborative Research Program of the German Research Council (Sonderforschungsbereich) entitled "Lympo-Haemopoese".[ citation needed ] In Munich he expanded the research area "Infection and Immunity" to a major research focus of his faculty.[ citation needed ] He co-initiated three Collaborative Research Programs and was from 1999-2006 speaker of the program "Target structures for selective Tumor-Interventions".[ citation needed ]

His honorary functions include: Presidency of the German Society of Immunology, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine (TUM), and Chairmen of the Science Advisory Board-IZKF-University Würzburg.[ citation needed ] A number of his pupills (n=13) are now heading university departments or other science-institutions; hence, Wagner and his pupills operate a creative academic school in Germany.[ citation needed ]

Honors and awards

In 1988 Wagner received the Behring-Kitasato Prize from the Hoechst Japan,[ citation needed ] and in 2001 he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Würzburg.[ citation needed ] In 2003 he received the "Order of Merit" of the Federal Republic of Germany.[ citation needed ] He has been an honorary member of the German Society of Immunology since 2007.[ citation needed ] He received the "Bavarian Order of Merit" in 2007.[ citation needed ] He is member of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences [3] [6] and the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.[ citation needed ] In 2009 he was Fellow of the A. Krupp Science Foundation in Greifswald/Baltic Sea,[ citation needed ] and in 2012 guest professor at the University of Marburg.[ citation needed ] Since 2011 he is TUM-Emeritus of Excellence.[ citation needed ] In 2013 he was awarded an honorary degree by the University of Bonn.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toll-like receptor</span> Class of immune system proteins

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are a class of proteins that play a key role in the innate immune system. They are single-spanning receptors usually expressed on sentinel cells such as macrophages and dendritic cells, that recognize structurally conserved molecules derived from microbes. Once these microbes have reached physical barriers such as the skin or intestinal tract mucosa, they are recognized by TLRs, which activate immune cell responses. The TLRs include TLR1, TLR2, TLR3, TLR4, TLR5, TLR6, TLR7, TLR8, TLR9, TLR10, TLR11, TLR12, and TLR13. Humans lack genes for TLR11, TLR12 and TLR13 and mice lack a functional gene for TLR10. The receptors TLR1, TLR2, TLR4, TLR5, TLR6, and TLR10 are located on the cell membrane, whereas TLR3, TLR7, TLR8, and TLR9 are located in intracellular vesicles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Superantigen</span> Antigen which strongly activates the immune system

Superantigens (SAgs) are a class of antigens that result in excessive activation of the immune system. Specifically they cause non-specific activation of T-cells resulting in polyclonal T cell activation and massive cytokine release. Superantigens act by binding to the MHC proteins on antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and to the TCRs on their adjacent helper T-cells, bringing the signaling molecules together, and thus leading to the activation of the T-cells, regardless of the peptide displayed on the MHC molecule. SAgs are produced by some pathogenic viruses and bacteria most likely as a defense mechanism against the immune system. Compared to a normal antigen-induced T-cell response where 0.0001-0.001% of the body's T-cells are activated, these SAgs are capable of activating up to 20% of the body's T-cells. Furthermore, Anti-CD3 and Anti-CD28 antibodies (CD28-SuperMAB) have also shown to be highly potent superantigens.

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References

  1. "Hermann Wagner Ph.D." TUM Emeriti of Excellence. Technical University of Munich. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  2. 1 2 "Akademie Personen" (PDF), Akademie Aktuell (in German), vol. 21, Bavarian Academy of Sciences, p. 61, February 2007, archived from the original (PDF) on 22 July 2011, retrieved 14 May 2011
  3. 1 2 3 "Prof. Dr. Hermann Wagner, Ph.D." Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften. Archived from the original on 15 December 2019. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  4. Wagner, H.; Röllinghoff, M. (1 December 1978). "T-T-cell interactions during the vitro cytotoxic allograft responses. I. Soluble products from activated Lyl+ T cells trigger autonomously antigen-primed Ly23+ T cells to cell proliferation and cytolytic activity". Journal of Experimental Medicine . 148 (6): 1523–1538. doi:10.1084/jem.148.6.1523. PMC   2185095 . PMID   309919.
  5. Miethke, T.; Wahl, C.; Heeg, K.; Echtenacher, B.; Krammer, P.H.; Wagner, H. (1 January 1992). "T cell-mediated lethal shock triggered in mice by the superantigen staphylococcal enterotoxin B: critical role of tumor necrosis factor". Journal of Experimental Medicine . 175 (1): 91–98. doi:10.1084/jem.175.1.91. PMC   2119077 . PMID   1730929.
  6. 1 2 Schütz, Martin (6 March 2007). "Neue Mitglieder in die Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften gewählt" [New members elected to the Bavarian Academy of Sciences] (Press release) (in German). Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften . Retrieved 15 May 2011.
  7. F., Heil; Hemmi, H.; Hochrein, H.; Ampenberger, F.; Kirschning, C.; Akira, S.; Lipford, G.; Wagner, H.; Bauer, S. (5 March 2004). "Species-specific recognition of single-stranded RNA via toll-like receptor 7 and 8". Science. 303 (5663): 1526–1529. Bibcode:2004Sci...303.1526H. doi: 10.1126/science.1093620 . PMID   14976262. S2CID   1680581.
  8. Oldenburg, M.; Krüger, A.; Ferst, R.; Kaufmann, A.; Nees, G.; Sigmund, A.; Bathke, B.; Lauterbach, H.; Suter, M.; Dreher, S.; Koedel, U.; Akira, S.; Kawai, T.; Buer, J.; Wagner, H.; Bauer, S.; Hochrein, H.; Kirschning, C.J. (31 August 2012). "TLR13 recognizes bacterial 23S rRNA devoid of erythromycin resistance-forming modification". Science. 337 (6098): 1111–1115. Bibcode:2012Sci...337.1111O. doi:10.1126/science.1220363. PMID   22821982. S2CID   206540638.