Adelheid ELBE-BÜRGER, PhD
Lab Head, Cellular and Molecular Immunobiology of the Skin, Division of Immunology, Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna
Education:
PhD: University of Vienna, Austria
Postdoctoral Training: University of Vienna Medical School, Austria
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, NY
Research Interests:
• Ontogeny of skin immune cells
• Dermal stem cells
• Immune response to vaccines against several chronic diseases
• Immunity and tolerance to allergens in barrier-disrupted skin and oral mucosa
Biography:
Adelheid Elbe-Bürger is Professor of Immunology and Immunodermatology at the Medical University of Vienna, Austria. She studied biology at the University of Vienna where she obtained her Ph.D. degree. Prof. Elbe-Bürger is author of multiple high impact publications on skin biology. Her investigations added important information on the physiology of the mammalian skin immune system and resulted in new insights about the origin, relationship and function of skin leukocytes during skin development in both humans and mice. This knowledge facilitated investigations about the impact and mode of action of immunomodulators on skin cells in healthy individuals and atopic dermatitis patients. Furthermore, she has made crucial contributions to characterize dermal stem cells which might lead to the development of new therapeutics for several skin diseases. In the past years she has been involved in clinical studies investigating the immune response to vaccines against several chronic diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease.
Proposed PhD research projects:
1) Mechanism and impact of herpes simplex virus type 1 infection in healthy and atopic dermatitis skin
2) Impaired skin barrier function in atopic dermatitis - cause or consequence of inflammation?
Selected publications:
- Vaculik, C., C. Schuster, W. Bauer, N. Iram, G. Kramer, A. Reinisch, D. Strunk, and A. Elbe-Bürger. 2012. Human dermis harbors distinct mesenchymal stromal cell subsets. J. Invest. Dermatol. 132: 563-574. PMID: 22048731
- Schuster, C., C. Vaculik , C. Fiala, S. Meindl, O. Brandt, M. Imhof, G. Stingl, W. Eppel, and A. Elbe-Bürger. 2009. HLA-DR+ leukocytes acquire CD1 antigens in embryonic and fetal human skin and contain functional antigen-presenting cells. J. Exp. Med. 206: 169-181. PMID: 19139172
- Hoetzenecker, W., R. Ecker, T. Kopp, A. Stuetz, G. Stingl, and A. Elbe-Bürger. 2005. Pimecrolimus leads to an apoptosis-induced depletion of T cells but not Langerhans cells in patients with atopic dermatitis. J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. 115:1276-1283. PMID: 15940147
- Hoetzenecker, W., J. G. Meingassner, R. Ecker, G. Stingl, A. Stuetz, and A. Elbe-Bürger. 2004. Corticosteroids but not pimecrolimus affect viability, maturation and immune function of murine epidermal Langerhans cells. J. Invest. Dermatol. 122: 673-684. PMID: 15086553
- Elbe, A., E. Tschachler, G. Steiner, A. Binder, K. Wolff, G. and Stingl. 1989. Maturational steps of bone marrow-derived dendritic murine epidermal cells. Phenotypic and functional studies on Langerhans cells and Thy-1+ dendritic epidermal cells in the perinatal period. J. Immunol. 143: 2431-2438. PMID: 2571637
