Head
PD Dr. med. Kerstin Felgenreff
Pediatric Stem Cell Transplantation and Immunology
Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine
Eythstr. 24 (Research Lab, House 16)
89075 Ulm, Germany
phone: +49-731-500 57201
e-mail: kerstin.felgentreff@uniklinik-ulm.de
name | position | |
Felgentreff, Kerstin | Head | kerstin.felgentreff@uniklinik-ulm.de |
Böhm, Paul-Georg | PhD-Student | paul-georg.boehm@uni-ulm.de |
Research Profile
Our research focusses on DNA damage response and early events in hematopoietic differentiation. DNA damage occurs constantly in every cell caused by endogenous or exogenous factors and is addressed by multiple different DNA repair pathways. Therefore, DNA damage response plays a significant role in differentiation of hematopoietic cells and unrepaired damage may lead to genetic instability and malignant transformation. To study the impact of these events, we use models of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) genetically engineered for the expression of specific reporters. The reporter cell lines are subsequently differentiated into hematopoietic stem cells and human natural killer (NK) lymphocytes in vitro.
Biomarkers of early DNA damage response can be used to characterize DNA repair capacity in hematopoietic progenitor cells differentiating in vitro, as wells as in mature peripheral blood cells obtained from individuals affected by DNA repair defects.
In a current project we are investigating the impact of V(DJ) recombination in common lymphocyte progenitor cells on the differentiation potential of NK cells.
Sprissler J, Pannicke U, Rump EM, Schrezenmeier H, Casadei N, Pogoda M, Kuhlburger L, Oquendo MB, Czemmel S, Debatin KM, Erlacher M, Schwarz K, Felgentreff K (2025). RAG recombinase expression discriminates the development of natural killer cells. Front Immunol. Jul 25;16:1607664. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1607664. PMID: 40787451; PMCID: PMC12331628.
Eigemann J, Janda A, Schuetz C, Lee-Kirsch MA, Schulz A, Hoenig M, Furlan I, Jacobsen EM, Zinngrebe J, Peters S, Drewes C, Siebert R, Rump EM, Führer M, Lorenz M, Pannicke U, Kölsch U, Debatin KM, von Bernuth H, Schwarz K, Felgentreff K (2024). Non-Skewed X-inactivation Results in NF-κB Essential Modulator (NEMO) Δ-exon 5-autoinflammatory Syndrome (NEMO-NDAS) in a Female with Incontinentia Pigmenti. J Clin Immunol. Sep 12;45(1):1
Felgentreff K, Baumann U, Klemann C, Schuetz C, Viemann D, Wetzke M, Pannicke U, von Hardenberg S, Auber B, Debatin KM, Jacobsen EM, Hoenig M, Schulz A, Schwarz K (2022). Biomarkers of DNA Damage Response Enable Flow Cytometry-Based Diagnostic to Identify Inborn DNA Repair Defects in Primary Immunodeficiencies. J Clin Immunol. Feb;42(2):286-298
Felgentreff K, Schuetz C, Baumann U, Klemann C, Viemann D, Ursu S, Jacobsen EM, Debatin KM, Schulz A, Hoenig M, Schwarz K (2021). Differential DNA Damage Response of Peripheral Blood Lymphocyte Populations. Front Immunol. Sep 14;12:739675. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.739675.
Euchner J*, Sprissler J*, Cathomen T, Fürst D, Schrezenmeier H, Debatin KM, Schwarz K*, Felgentreff K* (2021). Natural Killer Cells Generated from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Mature to CD56brightCD16+NKp80+/-In-Vitro and Express KIR2DL2/DL3 and KIR3DL1. Front Immunol. 1 May 4;12:640672. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.640672.
Felgentreff K, Baxi SN, Lee YN, Dobbs K, Henderson LA, Csomos K, Tsitsikov EN, Armanios M, Walter JE, Notarangelo LD (2016). Ligase-4 deficiency causes distinctive immune abnormalities in asymptomatic individuals. J Clin Immunol. May; 36(4):341-53
Felgentreff K, Lee YN, Frugoni F, Du L, van der Burg M, Giliani S, Tezcan I, Reisli I, Mejstrikova E, de Villartay JP, Sleckman BP, Manis J, Notarangelo LD (2015). Functional analysis of naturally occurring DCLRE1C mutations and correlation with the clinical phenotype of ARTEMIS deficiency. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 136(1):140-150 e147.
Felgentreff K, Du L, Weinacht KG, Dobbs K, Bartish M, Giliani S, Schlaeger T, DeVine A, Schambach, A, Woodbine LJ, Davies G, Baxi SN, van der Burg M, Bleesing J, Gennery A, Manis J, Pan Hammarström Q, Notarangelo LD (2014). Differential role of nonhomologous end joining factors in the generation, DNA damage response, and myeloid differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. Jun;111(24):8889-94