Prof. Thomas Vahlenkamp
Institute of Virology
Center for Infectious Diseases
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
Leipzig University
Germany
Biosketch
2023 – today Head of the PRRSV consultation laboratory, German Veterinary Medical Society (DVG)
2019 – today Dean, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University
2016 – 2019 Vice-Dean, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University
2013 – 2016 Dean of Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University (Germany)
2010 – today Director, Institute of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University (Germany)
2010 Director, Institute of Infectology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems (Germany)
2005 Habilitation for ‚Virology‘ and ‚Immunology‘ at the Department of Veterinary Medicine, Free University Berlin (Germany)
2004 – 2009 Senior Scientist and Personal Assistant to the President, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems (Germany)
2003 – 2004 Assistant Professor, Immunology Unit, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC (USA)
2000 – 2003 Post-doctoral Fellow, Immunology Unit, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC (USA)
1998 Philosophical doctor (Ph.D.), Utrecht University (The Netherlands)
1997 – 2000 Research Assistant (C1), Institute of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University (Germany)
1993 Dissertation (Dr. med. vet., Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich (Germany)
1991 – 1997 Virology Unit, Department for Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University (The Netherlands)
1985 – 1991 Study of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich (Germany)
Abstract
Pathogen strategies of immune evasion
Pathogens have developed remarkably sophisticated mechanisms to avoid the various host protective immune responses. In order to avoid host innate and adaptive immune responses viral examples include (i) shotdown of host macromolecule synthesis, (ii) avoidance of CTL-mediated killing of infected cells, (iii) prevention of NK-cell-mediated lysis of infected cells, (iv) interference with apoptosis, (v) counter defenses against cytokines, (vi) evasion of antiviral state, and (vii) pathogen-specific gene silencing pathways. The innate immune response is crucial as first line of defence but also to stimulate the initiation of an adequate adaptive immune response. Examples of pig pathogens interfering with these innate and adaptive immune response mechanisms include among others pseudorabies virus (PRV), porcine circovirus (PCV-2), porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), porcine delta corona virus (PDCoV), african swine fever virus (ASFV) and swine influenza virus (SIV). Many viruses inhibit normal transcription and/or translation of cellular proteins to subvert the machinery of the infected cell for production of progeny virions. This rapit shutdown of the host cell quickly impars the innate immune response, including the production of critical proteins such as class I MHC antigen and antiviral cytokines such as type I IFN.