A04: Innate immune signals and their effect on adaptive hapten-specific immune responses

Low zone tolerance to allergens mimics a physiologic mechanism for prevention of the development of contact hypersensitivity, the mouse model for the allergic contact dermatitis in humans. Despite versatile analyses of adaptive immune responses in the area of hapten-specific cutaneous immune reactions, comprehensive findings of mechanisms of the innate immune system and the interaction with adaptive immune reactions are still elusive. Thus, in this project we will address the role of immune cells (neutrophils/MDSC/macrophages), of TLR-mediated processes and of the microbiota in hapten-specific immune responses.