Rudolf VALENTA, MD
Head of the Division of Immunopathology, Dept. of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Medical University of Vienna, Austria.
Professor for Allergology, Medical University of Vienna
Education:
M.D. Degree: University of Vienna
Postdoctoral Training: University of Vienna and University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
Research Interests:
• Basic features of antigens and immune recognition of antigens
• Pathomechanisms of IgE-associated allergy
• Development of new forms of diagnosis and therapy for allergy
• Development of new forms of diagnosis and therapy for viral infections
Biography:
Rudolf Valenta is Professor for Allergology at the Medical University of Vienna. He has been working in the field of allergy research for more than 20 years. Starting with the molecular and immunological characterization of important allergens he continued to develop recombinant allergen-based diagnostic tests as well as therapeutic allergy vaccines based on recombinant allergens and genetically engineered hypoallergens and advanced them into clinical application. He has been awarded several prestigious national and international awards, among them the START Award of the FWF, the International Pharmacia Award and the Sarstedt Award. Rudolf Valentas work is highly cited, he has published more than 450 original scientific publications, reviews and book chapters, more than 70 patents/patent applications and introduced recombinant allergens into diagnosis and treatment of allergic diseases.
Proposed PhD research projects:
1) T cell epitope-based oral tolerance induction for prevention of birch pollen allergy
2) Dissection of IgG1 and IgG4 responses in patients treated with the recombinant B cell epitope-based grass pollen allergy vaccine BM32
Selected publications:
- Niespodziana, K., K. Napora, C. Cabauatan, M. Focke-Tejkl, W. Keller, V. Niederberger, M. Tsolia, I. Christodoulou, N. G. Papadopoulos, and R. Valenta. 2012. Misdirected antibody responses against an N-terminal epitope on human rhinovirus VP1 as explanation for recurrent RV infections. FASEB J. 26: 1001-8; PMID: 22121050
- Valenta, R., F. Ferreira, M. Focke-Tejkl, B. Linhart, V. Niederberger, I. Swoboda, and S. Vrtala. 2010. From allergen genes to allergy vaccines. Annu. Rev. Immunol. 28:211-241; PMID: 20192803
- Niederberger, V., F. Horak, S. Vrtala, S. Spitzauer, M.T. Krauth, P. Valent, J. Reisinger, M. Pelzmann, B. Hayek, M. Kronquist, G. Gavelin, H. Grönlund, A. Purohit, R. Suck, H. Fiebig, O. Cromwell, G. Pauli, M. van Hage-Hamsten, and R. Valenta. 2004. Vaccination with genetically engineered allergens prevents progression of allergic disease. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA .101, Suppl 2:14677-14682 PMID: 15310844
- Hiller, R., S. Laffer, C. Harwanegg, M. Huber, W.M. Schmidt, A. Twardosz, B. Barletta, W.M. Becker, K. Blaser, H. Breiteneder, M. Chapman, R. Crameri, M. Duchêne, F. Ferreira, H. Fiebig, K. Hoffmann-Sommergruber, T.P. King, T. Kleber-Janke, V.P. Kurup, S.B. Lehrer, J. Lidholm, U. Müller, C. Pini, G. Reese, O. Scheiner, A. Scheynius, H.D. Shen, S. Spitzauer, R. Suck, I. Swoboda, W. Thomas, R. Tinghino, M. van Hage-Hamsten, T. Virtanen, D. Kraft, M.W. Müller, and R. Valenta. 2002. Microarrayed allergen molecules: diagnostic gatekeepers for allergy treatment. FASEB J. 16:414-416 PMID: 11790727
- Valenta, R., M. Duchêne, K. Pettenburger, C. Sillaber, P. Valent, P. Bettelheim, M. Breitenbach, H. Rumpold, D. Kraft, and O. Scheiner. 1991. Identification of profilin as a novel pollen allergen; IgE autoreactivity in sensitized individuals. Science 253:557-560. PMID: 1857985
