The adaptive immune system is central to maintaining health and mounting effective defenses against disease. Among its key players, B cells are uniquely versatile: they produce antibodies, secrete cytokines, shape immune memory, and influence other immune cells through dynamic interactions. Yet, their behavior is highly context-dependent, shifting in response to physiological stress, trauma, Cancer, and other pathological conditions.
Our group studies how adaptive immunity, particularly B cells, adapts and responds across different states of health and disease. We explore how B cells communicate with T cells, macrophages, and other immune counterparts, and how these interactions shape the immune microenvironment.
By combining cellular immunology with molecular signaling studies, we aim to uncover the principles that orchestrate B cell phenotype, functional plasticity, and fate decisions. Ultimately, our goal is to translate this knowledge into strategies that restore or enhance adaptive immunity to improve robustness and recovery in various clinical contexts, including traumatic injuries, infection, and Cancer.
Publications
• Abdelrasoul H.: B-Cell Co-culture in the Tumor Microenvironment of Solid Tumors Using Pancreatic Cancer as a Tumor Model. B-Cell Receptor Signaling. Methods in Molecular Biology, 2025, vol 2909.
• Yang X, Qiao Y, Sun Y, Abdelaal T, Schuck K, Abdelrasoul H, Ryschich E, De La Torre C, Dong Y, Hu J, Fang C, Huang X, Kahlert C, Herr I, Michalski C and Kong B. Arp2/3 complex-dependent cell migration through extracellular matrices is essential for invasive front formation in pancreatic cancer. (Manuscript under review).
• Jumaa H, Abdelrasoul H & Setz CS. Treatment and/or prevention of an infection by mono/divalent and polyvalent antigen particle-mediated immune responses. 2023, Patent. patents.google.com/patent/CA3205797A1/en.
• Gihring A, Gärtner F, Mayer L, Roth A, Abdelrasoul H, Kornmann M & Elad L, Knippschild U. Influence of bariatric surgery on the peripheral blood immune system of female morbid obese patients revealed by high-dimensional mass cytometry. Front Immunol, 2023, 11;14:1131893
• Ketzer F, Abdelrasoul H, Vogel M, Marienfeld R, Müschen M, Jumaa H, Wirth T & Ushmorov A. CCND3 is indispensable for the maintenance of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Oncogenesis, 2022, 10;11(1):1
• Vadakumchery A, Faraidun H, Ayoubi OE, Outaleb I, Schmid V, Abdelrasoul H, Amendt T, Khadour A, Setz C, Göhring K, Lodd K, Hitzing C, Alkhatib A, Bilal M, Benckendorff J, Al Shugri AK, Brakebusch CH, Engels N, Datta M, Hobeika E, Alsadeq A & Jumaa H. The small GTPASE RhoA links SLP65 activation to PTEN function in pre-B cells and is essential for the generation and survival of normal and malignant B cells. Front Immunol, 2022, 15;13:842340
• Abdelrasoul H, Vadakumchery A, Werner M, Lenk L, Khadour A, Young M, El Ayoubi O, Vogiatzi F, Krämer M, Schmid V, Chen Z, Yousafzai Y, Cario G, Schrappe M, Müschen M, Halsey C, Mulaw M A, Schewe D M, Hobeika E, Alsadeq A & Jumaa H. Synergism between IL7R and CXCR4 drives BCR-ABL induced transformation in Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Nature Communications, 2020, 11: 3194
• Abdelrasoul H, Werner M, Setz CS, Okkenhaug K & Jumaa H. PI3K induces B-cell development and regulates B cell identity. Scientific reports, 2018, 8:1327
• Setz CS, Hug E, Khadour A, Abdelrasoul H, Bilal M, Wossning T & Jumaa H. PI3K-mediated Blimp-1 activation controls B cell selection and homeostasis. Cell reports, 2018, 24: 391–405
• Selim K, Abdelrasoul H, Aboelmagd M & Tawila A M. The role of the MAPK signaling, topoisomerase and dietary bioactives in controlling cancer incidence. Diseases, 2017, 5: 2
Team
- Sonja Braumüller (Technician)
- Lena Dörfer (Technician)
- Amélie Faller (Student)
- Sarah Böck (Trainee)
Research topics
Trauma Research
Traumatic injuries induce strong systemic inflammatory responses that can interrupt adaptive immune system homeostasis, leaving patients vulnerable to opportunistic infections and other complications. These responses are triggered by a combination of danger signals, including damage- and pathogen-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs & PAMPs), inflammatory cytokines, and self-antigens. Our immune response to trauma varies considerably by type and severity of the injury, as well as by the nature of our immune memory. These variations make studying the impact of trauma on the adaptive immune system challenging.
Our group aims to understand how traumatic injuries reshape adaptive immunity on the level of cellular interactions and signal transduction. We especially aim to advance our knowledge about how traumatic injuries impact a unique component of our adaptive immune system, specifically B lymphocytes. We investigate their phenotypic changes, functional fates, and interactions with other immune counterparts in the injured environment. Additionally, we investigate strategies for redirecting injury responses to help restore adaptive immune system homeostasis and full B cell functionality.