Press releases – October 2017

Whether it is new and groundbreaking research results, university topics or events – in our press releases you can find everything you need to know about the happenings at Goethe University. To subscribe, just send an email to ott@pvw.uni-frankfurt.de

Goethe University PR & Communication Department 

Theodor-W.-Adorno Platz 1
60323 Frankfurt 
presse@uni-frankfurt.de

 

Oct 16 2017
10:53

Science publication describes quality control of antigens

Mechanism for precise targeting of the immune response uncovered

FRANKFURT. The immune system monitors the health status of the cells in our bodies by examining a kind of molecular passport. Sometimes cells present the wrong passport, which can lead to autoimmune diseases, chronic inflammation, or cancer. In the new issue of the journal "Science" (first release), scientists of the Goethe University Frankfurt have now elucidated the mechanism of how the correct molecular passport is selected.

Most cells provide the T cells of the adaptive immune system with information about their condition by presenting selected components of their interior (antigens) on their surface. If these components include fragments of viruses or altered cell components, the affected cell is eliminated by the T cells. The selection of the antigens is crucial in this process. Presenting the wrong antigens leads to either healthy cells being attacked by the immune system - causing autoimmune diseases or chronic inflammation - or to diseased cells not being recognized, allowing cancer cells or virus-infected cells to escape immune surveillance.

Dr. Christoph Thomas and Prof. Robert Tampé from the Institute of Biochemistry at Goethe University have now unraveled on a molecular level how antigens are selected in the cell for presentation on the cell surface. The protein structure they present shows for the first time the kind of quality control antigens undergo to enable a precise and effective immune response.

"Our work solves a 30-year-old problem of cellular immunity, in particular how antigens associated with tumors or pathogens are selected through processes of editing and quality control in order to generate a specific immune response", explains Prof. Robert Tampé the significance of the publication.

 

Publication:

Christoph Thomas, Robert Tampé: Structure of the TAPBPR–MHC I complex defines the mechanism of peptide loading and editing, Science (Oct 12, 2017, First Release)

An image for download can be found here:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/t4k1u37h01s0p20/TAPBPR_complex_space_filling.png?dl=0

Image captation: Space-filling model of the solved protein complex responsible for antigen selection.

 

Oct 2 2017
08:51

Goethe University’s Museum Giersch shows pictures of a nearly forgotten artist couple

Retrospective Exhibition for Eric and Jula Isenburger

The visual artist Eric Isenburger (1902–1994) and his wife and muse, expressionist dancer Jula Isenburger, née Elenbogen (1908–2000), are among the 20th century’s almost completely forgotten artist personalities. Now, for the first time, the Museum Giersch der Goethe-Universität is dedicating a comprehensive retrospective exhibition in Eric’s native city.

Eric Isenburger’s training at Frankfurt’s Kunstgewerbeschule was followed by numerous study trips and a longer stay in Barcelona. Together with his wife, he initially lived in Vienna and subsequently in Berlin as an independent artist and stage designer. As Jews, the couple were subject to repressive measures by the National Socialist dictatorship as early as 1933, and began the Odyssey of their flight: Paris, Stockholm, Southern France and the French internment camps Les Milles and Camp de Gurs were stations in the years that followed, until in 1941 they finally obtained a visa for the USA and were able to leave Europe via Lisbon to New York, where they lived for the rest of their lives.

Despite these conditions, some of which were extremely difficult, Eric Isenburger created an original artistic oeuvre comprising portraits, landscapes and still lifes. With a late-Impressionist stamp, in part expressive style and in terms of material technique an experimental posture, Isenburger the painter took the outer world as his point of departure, but refrained from all-too obvious commentary on his times. His extraordinary oeuvre is truly a discovery.

 

“Von Frankfurt nach New York” (“From Frankfurt to New York): Eric und Jula Isenburger, 15. Oktober 2017 bis 11. Februar 2018, Museum Giersch der Goethe-Universität, Schaumainkai 83, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Telefon +49 (0) 69 13 82 101-0, E-Mail info@museum-giersch.de, www.museum-giersch.de

Private guided tours (on request) Tuesday through Friday 60 Euro, Saturday and Sunday 65 Euro (in addition to the entrance fee)