Prof. Dr. Dirk Schlüter participates in RESIST research project B12.

My Research Interest in RESIST

Our research focus in RESIST is the characterization of the function of deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) in human bacterial infection, the evaluation of DUBs as novel drug targets and the development of small molecular compounds that selectively inhibit individual DUBs. The long-term goal is to contribute to the validation of new treatment strategies for bacterial infections, which target bacteria by antibiotic and simultaneously improve the anti-bacterial immune response by treatment with immunostimulatory DUB inhibitors. In the last years, we have shown that the DUBs CYLD, TNFAIP3 (A20) and OTUB1 are critical regulators of immune responses in experimental infectious and autoimmune disorders.

Built on this expertise and data, we will characterize the expression profile of the 100 identified DUBs in human implant-associated bacterial infections and, in parallel, in representative mouse models of these disorders. We will use the identified DUB profile to select candidate DUBs as drug targets and to verify the functional importance of these DUBs in experimental model systems. The final aim is to develop small molecule inhibitors for identified DUBs and to establish their efficacy as an adjunct treatment in combination with antibiotics in implant- associated infections. 

Prof. Schlüter about his scientific work

Prof. Dr. Dirk Schlüter – Curriculum Vitae

Current Position

  • Since 2018 Full (W3) Professor of Microbiology and Director, Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hospital Epidemiology, MHH 

Undergraduate and Postgraduate Training

  • 1984 – 1990 Medical School in Düsseldorf and Essen

  • 1992 Medical Doctorate (Dr. med.; Supervisor Prof. Dr. med. H. Hof)

  • 1997 Habilitation (Supervisor Prof. Dr. med. H. Hof)

  • 1997 Certificate of Completed Specialist Training in Medical Microbiology, Virology, Infection Epidemiology 

Academic and Research Posts

  • 1992 – 1997 Resident Physician and Research Group Leader at the Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Germany 

  • 1997 – 2004 C2-Professor for „Medical Microbiology and Immunology of Infectious Diseases“, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Germany 

  • 2004 – 2010 C3-Professor of Medical Microbiology (Focus: Immunology of Infectious Diseases), Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany

  • 2010 – 2018 W3-Professor of Medical Microbiology and Director of the Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hospital Epidemiology, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany 

Other Scientific Roles

  • 2007 – 2010 Chairman of the Section „Immunology of Infectious Diseases“, German Society of Medical Microbiology and German Society of Immunology 

  • 2008 – 2014 Coordinator of the „TOXONET“ collaborative research network funded by the German Ministry for Education and Research

  • 2013 – 2018 Head of the research group „Organ-specific immune regulation“ 

Awards and Prizes

  • 1992 Best M.D. thesis of 1992, Medical Faculty, Essen University 

Recommended Links

For further information about Prof. Schlüter’s scientific work please check the following links:

10 Selected Publications (of > 112 original publications)

Mulas, F, Wang, X, Song, S, Nishanth, G, Yi, W, Brunn, A, Larsen, PK, Isermann, B, Kalinke, U, Barragan, A, Naumann, M, Deckert, M, Schlüter, D. The deubiquitinase OTUB1 augments NF-κB dependent immune responses of dendritic cells by stabilization of UBC13 in infection and inflammation. Cell Mol Immunol. 2020; DOI: 10.1038/s41423-020-0362-6

Wang X, Mulas F, Yi W, Brunn A, Nishanth G, Just S, Waisman A, Brück W, Deckert M, Schlüter D. The deubiquitinase OTUB1 inhibits central nervous system autoimmunity by preventing IFN-γ-induced hyperactivation of astrocytes through stabilization of SOCS1. EMBO J. 2019; e100947. DOI: 10.15252/embj.2018100947.

Nishanth G, Wolleschak D, Fahldieck C, Fischer T, Mullally A, Perner F, Schnöder TM, Just S, Heidel FH, Schlüter D. Gain of function in Jak2(V617F)-positive T-cells. Leukemia. 2017; 359(26):2778-89. 

Dong W, Wang H, Shahzad K, Bock F, Al-Dabet MM, Ranjan S, Wolter J, Kohli S, Hoffmann J, Dhople VM, Zhu C, Lindquist JA, Esmon CT, Gröne E, Gröne HJ, Madhusudhan T, Mertens PR*, Schlüter D*, Isermann B*. Activated protein C ameliorates renal ischemia-reperfusion injury by restricting Y-box binding protein-1 ubiquitination. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2015; 26(11):2789-2799. * equal contribution

Nishanth G, Deckert M, Wex K, Massoumi R, Schweitzer K, Naumann M, Schlüter D. CYLD enhances severe listeriosis by impairing IL-6/STAT3-dependent fibrin production. PLOS Pathog. 2013; 9(6):e1003455. 

Wang X, Deckert M, Xuan NT, Nishanth G, Just S, Waisman A, Naumann M, Schlüter D. Astrocytic A20 ameliorates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis by inhibiting NF-κB- and STAT1-dependent chemokine production in astrocytes. Acta Neuropathol. 2013; 126(5):711-724. 

Haroon F, Drögemüller K, Händel U, Brunn A, Reinhold D, Mueller W, Trautwein C, Ernst M, Deckert M, Schlüter D. Gp130-dependent astrocytic survival is critical for the control of autoimmune central nervous system inflammation. J Immunol. 2011; 1868(11):6521-6531.

Drögemüller K, Helmuth U, Brunn A, Sakowicz-Burkiewicz M, Gutmann DH, Mueller W, Deckert M, Schlüter D. Astrocyte gp130 expression is critical for the control of Toxoplasma encephalitis. J Immunol. 2008; 181(4):2683-2693.

Sakowicz-Burkiewicz M, Nishanth G, Helmuth U, Drögemüller K, Busch DH, Utermöhlen O, Naumann M, Deckert M, Schlüter D. Proteinkinase C-θ critically regulates the activation and proliferation of pathogen-specific T cells in murine listeriosis. J Immunol. 2008; 180(8): 5601-5612.

Meissner M, Schlüter D, Soldati D. Role of Toxoplasma gondii myosin A in powering parasite gliding and host cell invasion. Science. 2002; 298(5594):837-840.

Contact

  Prof. Dr. Dirk Schlüter
  Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hospital Epidemiology, Hannover Medical School (MHH)
  Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1
30625 Hannover
  +49 511 532 – 6770
  Schlueter.Dirk
@mh-hannover.de