Molecular Immunology Laboratory

1. Laboratory staff:

2. Brief Description of the Laboratory

The Laboratory of Molecular Immunology aims to meet the educational and research needs of the Department, in the field of modern Immunology. Understanding the complex biology of neutrophil, as well as its crosstalk with other immunoactive cells under inflammatory conditions, is the main research axis of the Laboratory. The research approach involves the study of human cells, tissues and biological fluids using advanced immunological methods, capable to shed light on signaling pathways and disease mechanisms.

3. Research activities

Translational research: from bedside to bench and to bedside again! The Laboratory is active in the field of translational research and, thus, it tries to bridge basic laboratory research with clinical practice. To this end, molecular mechanisms - involved in the pathophysiology of various inflammatory diseases- are studied in the light of innate immunity. In detail, the laboratory focuses on neutrophils / neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) highlighting their contribution in distinct human disorders. To better illustrate their role, the interplay between neutrophils and other cell populations (such as platelets, mesenchymal or endothelial cells) is also investigated. At the same time, other basic molecular mechanisms associated with immune responses, including the mechanism of autophagy, are further examined. Overall, we aim to describe the involvement of neutrophils to infectious or non-infectious diseases (with thrombotic and / or fibrotic manifestations), to suggest biomarkers and to develop novel diagnostic / therapeutic tools.

4. Laboratory infrastructure

• Basic infrastructure for Immunology Lab.
• Cell Culture Facility.
• Flow Cytometry and Cell sorting Facility.

5. Indicative publications

Down-regulation of KLF2 in lung fibroblasts is linked with COVID-19 immunofibrosis and restored by combined inhibition of NETs, JAK-1/2 and IL 6 signaling. Akrivi Chrysanthopoulou*, Christina Antoniadou*, Anastasia Maria Natsi*, Efstratios Gavriilidis, Vasileios Papadopoulos, Evangelia Xingi, Stylianos Didaskalou, Dimitrios Mikroulis, Victoria Tsironidou, Konstantinos Kambas, Maria Koffa, Panagiotis Skendros, Konstantinos Ritis. 2023. Clin Immunol. In press.

Combined administration of inhaled DNase, baricitinib and tocilizumab as rescue treatment in COVID-19 patients with severe respiratory failure. Gavriilidis E*, Antoniadou C*, Chrysanthopoulou A*, Ntinopoulou M, Smyrlis A,Fotiadou I, Zioga N, Kogias D, Natsi AM, Pelekoudas C, Satiridou E, Bakola SA, Papagoras C, Mitroulis I, Peichamperis P, Mikroulis D, Papadopoulos V, Skendros P, Ritis K. 2022. Clin Immunol. doi: 10.1016/j.clim.2022.109016.

A gene expression map of host immune response in human brucellosis. Mitroulis I, Chrysanthopoulou A, Divolis G, Ioannidis C, Ntinopoulou M, Tasis A, Konstantinidis T, Antoniadou C, Soteriou N, Lallas G, Mitka S, Lesche M, Dahl A, Gembardt S, Panopoulou M, Sideras P, Wielockx B, Coskun Ü, Ritis K, Skendros P.2022. Front Immunol. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.951232.

Angiotensin II triggers neutrophil extracellular traps release linking thromboinflammation with essential hypertension. Chrysanthopoulou Α, Gkaliagkousi Ε, Lazaridis Α, Arelaki S, Pateinakis P, Ntinopoulou M, Mitsios A, Antoniadou C, Argyriou C, Georgiadis GS, Papadopoulos V, Giatromanolaki A,Ritis K, Skendros P. JCI Insight. 2021. doi: 10.1172/jci.insight.148668.

Complement and tissue factor-enriched neutrophil extracellular traps are key drivers in COVID-19 immunothrombosis. Skendros P*, Mitsios A*, Chrysanthopoulou A*, Mastellos DC, Metallidis S, Rafailidis P, Ntinopoulou M, Sertaridou E, Tsironidou V, Tsigalou C, Tektonidou MG, Konstantinidis T, Papagoras C, Mitroulis I, Germanidis G, Lambris JD, Ritis K. 2020. J Clin Invest. doi: 10.1172/JCI141374.

The REDD1/autophagy pathway promotes thromboinflammation and fibrosis in human Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) through NETs decorated with tissue factor (TF) and interleukin-17A (IL-17A). Frangou E*, Chrysanthopoulou A*, Mitsios A, Kambas K, Arelaki S, Angelidou I, Arampatzioglou A, Gakiopoulou H, Bertsias GK, Verginis P, Ritis K, Boumpas DT. 2018. Ann Rheum Dis. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2018-213181.

Interferon lambda1/IL-29 and Inorganic Polyphosphate are novel regulators of neutrophil-driven thromboinflammation. Chrysanthopoulou A, Kambas K, Stakos D, Mitroulis I, Mitsios A, Vidali V, Angelidou I, Bochenek M, Arelaki S, Arampatzioglou A, Galani IE, Skendros P, Couladouros EA, Konstantinides S, Andreakos E, Schäfer K, Ritis K. 2017. J Pathol. doi: 10.1002/path.4935.

REDD1 links stress with IL-1β-mediated familial Mediterranean fever attack through autophagy-driven neutrophil extracellular traps. Skendros P*, Chrysanthopoulou A*, Rousset F*, Kambas K, Arampatzioglou A, Mitsios A, Bocly V, Konstantinidis T, Pellet P, Angelidou I, Apostolidou E, Ritis D, Tsironidou V, Galtsidis S, Papagoras C, Stakos D, Kouklakis G, Dalla V, Koffa M, Mitroulis I, Theodorou I, Ritis K. 2017. J Allergy Clin Immunol. doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2017.02.021.