Dagmar Gotthardt
Immunology and NK-cell Biology
- NK cells as immunotherapeutic tool
- Targeting NK cells in reproductive medicine
- Peptide therapeutics as tool to modulate immune (in particular NK) cell migration and function
The researcher
Dagmar Gotthardt performed her PhD thesis in the group of Veronika Sexl (Medical University of Vienna and University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna) on the role of Jak/Stat signaling in NK cells and had post-doctoral training in the group of Lewis Lanier (University of California San Francisco) in the Parker Institute of Cancer Immunotherapy working on memory NK cells.
In her early career, Dagmar discovered an immunosuppressive role of the transcription factor STAT3 on NK cell surveillance and the tumor promoting potential of NK-cell derived VEGF-A that is suppressed by the transcription factor STAT5. She also studied the role of the activating receptor NKG2D in the context of NK cell memory upon MCMV infection and helped identify CDK8 as crucial negative regulator of NK cell cytotoxicity. Dagmar received several awards including the Ursula and Fritz Melchers thesis prize for the best dissertation in the field of immunology.
After her post-doc she was recruited by a biotech company as a project manager aiming to develop novel antibody-based therapeutics for the treatment of infectious diseases.
In March 2019, Dagmar returned to the University of Veterinary Medicine to enforce and lead the NK cell team.
Know-how and research interest
Dagmar has extensive research experience in immunology, tumor biology and infectious diseases. She has expertise with human and mouse specimens, multi-color flow cytometry, more than 10 years of experience with in vivo disease and cancer models using mice as a model organism and a wide range of cellular, molecular and biochemical techniques to address today’s most relevant immunological research questions.
Her training in excellent and internationally renowned laboratories has allowed her to publish in high-impact journals and to collaborate with highly ranked scientists all over the world. In addition, she has mentored students and given lectures and practical courses. She has experience with supervising technicians and students and is participating in several scientific networks.
Details about my research area
Natural Killer (NK) cells are cytotoxic lymphocytes of the innate immune system and play a critical role in anti-viral and anti-tumor responses. They are currently exploited as an attractive tool in cancer immunotherapy against a wide range of cancers. Besides their role as anti-viral and anti-tumor defense, NK cells have crucial functions during pregnancy. They aid in supplying blood to the fetus, essential for its growth and development. It also protects the fetus against foreign bodies and infections.
On the other side of the coin, NK cells can directly promote cell or tissue injuries during chronic inflammation in autoimmune diseases by exerting natural cytotoxic effects against cells expressing activating ligands for natural cytotoxicity receptors by ADCC and indirectly through activation of macrophages. Thus, NK cells are not only an attractive target in anti-cancer therapy but also in the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.
Contact
Institut für Pharmakologie und Toxikologie
Veterinärplatz 1
1210 Austria
Vienna
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